Below are Ms. Hamilton’s answers:
It’s hard to list just one . One highlight has been the travel I’ve been able to do, visiting agricultural settings across the U.S. and on three continents. Another has been finding that communication and organizational skills can be adapted to a variety of ag industry contexts.
Constantly learning and adapting in an evolving communications landscape. This has been the biggest challenge throughout my work.
I loved writing, horses, and U.S. western history and land. I pursued writing, stayed active with horses, and tried to take advantage of every kind of opportunity that came my way. I took risks, such as pursuing work that I wasn’t necessarily perfectly qualified for.
That being trainable and having a work ethic matters a lot. Being willing (and humble enough) to learn something new has been extremely important for all of my job opportunities, from equine reproduction to photography and now, soil and crop sciences.
Having a well-rounded education matters; it helps you engage with different people on a variety of levels and subjects. I gained useful and adaptable skills in these studies: English, writing (technical & creative), ag communications, foreign languages, biology, animal anatomy, lab classes, etc.
Additionally, in the ag world, having real-world, hands-on experience is crucial: I always advise students to pursue internship experiences of all kinds.
