From left: Zoey Elizabeth Boyd, Grace Millsap, Mingze ‘Daniel’ Chen, Georgia Clarke.
Zoey Elizabeth Boyd, 20, Monkton
Associate Diploma in Agriculture
Background: Grew up in rural Monkton, worked at a horse farm and later as an administrative assistant at the Equipment Ontario Case IH dealership in Listowel. Continued part-time while at Ridgetown.
Achievements: Graduated with distinction. Earned academic proficiency award as top student with a minimum 80% average; award for highest cumulative grade average; and the agriculture and environmental stewardship award. She delivered graduation speech on behalf of the ‘aggies’ — the highest profile graduates.
College highlight: Boyd was pleased to finally move to Ridgetown with the resumption of in-person classes during her second year. Although disappointed that extra-curricular activities at the campus pretty well “fizzled out” before Christmas 2021, she “quite enjoyed” the much smaller in-person classes and labs. “Most of our labs had 8 people in them … so you got to do way more hands-on.” She commuted back to Listowel every Thursday to work two and half days at the dealership.
Future: Enrolled in the bachelor of business administration at Yorkville University, which she plans to complete online over the next two years while continuing at her current place of employment. It was always her intent, she says, to get her “undergrad” in agriculture before moving on to a business admin degree. “I don’t know where life will take me, but I definitely want to be involved in the agribusiness sector, for sure.”
Grace Millsap, 20, Creemore
Associate Diploma in Agriculture
Background: Millsap Farm, a 750-head beef feedlot farm, just outside Creemore. Director with her local fair, the Great Northern Exhibition.
Achievements: Graduated with distinction and six awards: best all-round student; student leadership; leadership and demonstrated responsibility; Outstanding student award for extracurricular activities; Highest grade in vegetable production course; and excellence in Farm Project.
College highlight: Succeeding at College, academically and socially, despite nothing but online virtual courses in her final year of high school plus her first year of post-secondary. Even in her second year, when she could finally move to Ridgetown, “There was very little extracurricular activity for students,” she says. “There wasn’t much of an opportunity to be involved but I still took every opportunity to get involved and make most of the little time that actually was in-person.”
Future: “I’d like to stay close to home and be involved in the daily work of our farm, and find a full-time job in our community, in the agricultural industry, but still close to home.”
Summer plans: Currently employed as a summer student administrative assistant and crop scout at Holmes Agro in Stayner.
Mingze ‘Daniel’ Chen, 32, Scarborough
Associate Diploma in Agriculture
Background: Born and raised in China.In 2013, he came to Canada as a masters student in intercultural communications at Royal Roads University in B.C. He landed a position managing the Japanese Decorté makeup brand at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Toronto location. Amid the pandemic retail lockdowns, Chen began looking at a career change. “I thought of agriculture because I found that no matter how the world changed, people still need food.”
Achievements: Academic proficiency runner-up in agriculture award for second overall in the ag diploma program and with a minimum 80% average; highest cumulative grade average in non-elective courses; and agricultural economics award.
College highlight: He quit his job and moved to Ridgetown for his second year. He appreciated the “hands-on experiences” and especially being out in the field during sessions on crop disease and insects. It reminded him of his childhood in China, he said, before his family moved from a suburban area into the city. “I found it’s still in my heart, I still like that lifestyle, being close to nature. I really enjoyed my second year in Ridgetown.”
Future: “I want to run a small organic vegetable farm, to grow Asian greens for a niche market,” Chen says. He’s looking for a farm property to pursue this goal.
Summer plans: “I’m looking for some agricultural-type jobs to get experience.”
Georgia Clarke, 29, Holstein
Associate Diploma in Agriculture
Background: Grew up in the rural Holstein area, Clarke was immersed in the “rodeo world.” She worked shoeing horses and at dairy farms.
Achievements: Graduated with distinction. “My personal achievement was to get the best grades I could and just get through it, because we were dealing with COVID. It was a bit of a struggle … It was difficult doing all the agriculture stuff through the computer.
“The weather in September was awesome, and we were stuck in a classroom. It was very frustrating.”
College highlight: Showing her first calf in a show as part of the dairy herd management course. “That was a lot of fun. I think that was my favourite course.”
She also notes the friends made and Dr. Dave Hooker’s crops classes. “He always made the teaching experience fun online. Dr. Dave went above and beyond. It’s made me really successful with the crops stuff.”
Future: “Honestly, I’m not sure … I live in an area where agriculture is big, but I don’t live in an area where it’s easy to get those jobs. Because a lot of it’s machine-driving, and they want you to have experience. I’m hoping to work on another dairy farm or work for another crop company.”
Summer plans: Working as a crop scout with Agronomy Advantage of Dundalk.
