Studying Agriculture at NCTC provides students with an opportunity to branch into many diverse areas of employment and/or provides a pathway to purse a baccalaureate degree, and that’s exactly what Laney Burnett chose to do after studying Agriculture for two years at NCTC.

While at NCTC she completed both university transfer and technical Agriculture courses each semester to better prepare herself for a higher level of success working toward her Bachelor’s Degree. “Starting at NCTC was a great way to get my feet wet with the college experience. The coursework was just as rigorous, if not more so, than what I have noticed at the university. I feel I was very prepared for what I am doing now and have an advantage over many of my peers. “

Burnett is now attending Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, completing her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with an emphasis in Animal Production and a minor in Agriculture Economics. She is very interested in livestock reproduction and is considering pursuing a Master’s Degree in reproductive physiology.

It was between her freshman and sophomore year at NCTC that Laney elected to complete an American Breeders Service palpation and artificial insemination short course offered at NCTC during the summer. This is where her interest in reproduction really sparked, and although she received college credit for this course, little did she know at that time how beneficial it would be later in her student career. Laney currently works part-time for eight different dairies in the Stephenville area as an artificial insemination technician. She has this advice to offer other students, “The greatest advice I have for any current student is to do what interests you, even though it may not count directly toward your degree plan. Take that class that you’re passionate about, because it could lead to a career.  Go on that school trip where you can learn so much more than in a classroom.  Attend every kind of meeting/town hall/extension course/gathering that you are able to, so that you can network in the industry you are pursuing and learn from real world experiences!”