Exploring animal science careers
By Sierra Henry
Published in News on July 20, 2018 5:50 AM
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Denice Mason, training and development coordinator for Maxwell Foods, talks to Brooke Braswell, 12, during the Animal Science II Camp at Wayne Community College Wednesday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Campers get a closer look at the weened pig brought in by a team from Maxwell Foods Wednesday during the Animal Science II Camp at Wayne Community College. They were able to ask questions and even pet the pig that is being adopted and taken to a new home after the class.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The pig brought to the camp by Maxwell Foods Wednesday sniffs and snorts as it is pet on its head by one of the kids enrolled in the camp.
For middle school children who are interested in potentially pursuing a career in animal science, the Animal Science Career Exploration Camp at Wayne Community College is the perfect opportunity to learn just what the field is all about.
From Monday through Thursday, students who attended the previous year's camp had the opportunity to learn about weaned pigs and the anatomy of horses, pigs and hens.
Jennifer Johnson, camp leader and applied animal science and agriculture instructor at Wayne Community College, was hopeful that the camp introduced students to the different paths they can take in the animal science field.
"I'm just trying to introduce the middle school kids to animals and what's out there, kind of careers that are out there, and opening it up for recruiting for my program at Wayne Community (College)," Johnson said.
The summer camp is in its second year and is part of a larger program known as Career Exploration Camps at the college, said Johnson. Lisa Newkirk, occupational extension/leisure and recreation coordinator, said the college has offered career camps to middle school and high school students since 2015.
Career exploration camps are intended to give guidance to students who are interested in selected fields and show them what career opportunities are available, Johnson said.
"When they're in middle school, it gives them the opportunity to explore different careers, what they might be interested in, what they might go into," Johnson said. "It helps the college out, too. We get students on campus who get to see what programs we offer that can help them in careers down the road."
During Wednesday afternoon's animal science camp, Denise Mason, training and demonstration coordinator for Maxwell Foods, brought in a weaned pig. Students had the opportunity to ask questions about the pig and learn about the anatomy of the pig and topics such as biosecurity.
Johnson said the activities are her favorite part of the camp because she is able to expose children to different types of animals and things they don't normally have a chance to see, such as learning how to show a goat or seeing a piglet.
For Carson Gainous, who is interested in going to veterinarian school, said the Animal Science Career Exploration camp is the perfect place to learn about his future career options. The 13-year-old said he enjoyed being able to learn about different animals and plans on attending Wayne Community College in the future.
His favorite part about the camp this summer was learning about Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Grandin, who is autistic, managed to go to veterinarian school and earned a doctorate in animal science.
"She's autistic and she went to vet school," Gainous explained. "Just because you're disabled doesn't mean you can't do anything."
Slots are still open for any student interested in attending the second Animal Science Exploration Camp, which starts on July 23 and continues through July 26. The camp will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $60 per student. For more information, visit waynecc.edu/career-exploration-camps.