Hi my name is Jestin Ledlum a senior here at the University of Minnesota. My major is Agriculture and Food Business Management with a minor in Entrepreneur Management in CFANS. CFANS is the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences. My decision to come to the University of Minnesota was basically the feeling of home and family.

I grew up in Brooklyn Park, MN and the University of Minnesota has always been a second home for me. I traveled to other Universities and you know attended majors there, but nowhere felt more at home than the University of Minnesota. So, I decided to transfer back here and finish up my degree here.

I am from a third world country so the food issue has always been a big part of my life and deciding to study Agriculture CFANS was the natural fit for me. Making sure that I had the opportunity to engage with different students and faculty in studying food issues and finding sustainable ways to increase food yields for the world was one of the decisions that pulled me towards CFANS.

The faculty here at the college is pretty involved, a lot of my professors in my major, economics professors of very involved they do a lot of research, internships and provide opportunities to student to kind of engage them in different aspects of learning rather than just the classroom they try to supplement some of their learning opportunity through research and other engaging activities. I would say that the faculty is pretty engaged compared to other schools that I have been at.

Some of the activities that I have gotten involved in is usually with student groups, Universities Flight World Hunger, The Black Student Union, The International Student Union, The African Student Union also known as ASA. We engage in various activities such as The Underground Railroad Experience a reenactment of what slaves had to go through during the time of slavery. The African American Association also does like soccer tournaments and things like that. So, we engage in a lot of certain physical activities and also learning aspect of things to influence our situation here at the University. We have the opportunity to not only learn but also learn from each other and we do that in a lot of fun ways.

St. Paul campus unlike most Universities, when you hear about the University of Minnesota you think of this big huge massive college, but the St. Paul campus is fairly smaller with about 1,800 students and it's more of a family filled environment. You get to know your faculties, you get to know fellow student in your major. Oftentimes, which translates into better education for the individual because I found a lot of people that are in my classes you see them in repeat classes so you have the opportunity to create study groups and sometimes even hang out outside of school. So, St. Paul campus is smaller tightknit and is like a nice local small community of individuals that works together to gain an education.

CFANS, I would say the campus setting, one the campus is a beautiful campus, and you have the nice scenery outside the lawn, flowers and all those things that are going on outside, but with inside the college looking at the educational aspect and some of the research opportunities that professors are engaging in is one of the most encouraging thing of being here. Being in the ROAD Program last year, encouraged and motivated me to pursue a higher education and going on to get my Master's degree. That provided me an opportunity to learn how to do research and other thing like that. Certain classes allow you the opportunity to take field trips, ESPM major we had an opportunity in a freshmen class to travel to the Rock Tenn. recycling plant and see how they recycle about 99% of the waste that they receive so there are a lot of interesting things such as that makes CFANS a great place.

MANRRS initially was a scholarship requirement, it was a scholarship requirement that I had to fulfill but after attending a couple of meeting I realized that it was a great opportunity for me to network with my fellow student and also work on important issues.

MANRRS provided me with numerous of opportunities as opening up the networking door for me as far as jobs and opportunities. One of the most interesting things we do at least once a year is go to an annual conference which you have the opportunity to meet allow of the top companies in the nation from Cargill to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It directly relates to our major and it keeps us involved in learning about our major but at the same time taking us away from the classroom aspect. We have the opportunity to volunteer and do a lot of Feed my Starving Children type things and also build a bond and a friendship with the rest of the people in the organization and the society.

Definitely, MANRRS if you're in a CFANS major MANRRS is a great opportunity for anybody who is interested developing themselves personally and moving to the next level in life. Also, I would recommend just trying different student organizations and different groups going to the different meeting. Getting involved with the student broad and being engaged in the things that are going on around campus. The more you become engaged the easier the transition between your social life and school life. Just trying a bunch of things and taking advantage of some of the free opportunities, concerts, career fair and things that come around campus every now and then.
The Agriculture Future Fund Scholarship through the CFANS, this allowed me a lot of financial leeway that has allowed me the opportunity to come here and study in a relaxed environment and not have to worry about finances and how I will be able to take care of my schooling. I would also want to thank the donors for the opportunity.

Hello everyone! My name is Andre Gordillo and I am a sophomore at the University in Agricultural and Food Business Management. I am currently enrolled in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

Why did you choose to come to the University of Minnesota (question)

I chose the University of Minnesota because it has a great program for my major, and being in the Twins Cities there are lots of opportunities for post graduates. There are always a lot of activities to do on the weekends. There is never a dull moment in the Twin Cities.

What do you like most about the Saint Paul campus (question)

The Saint Paul campus is very quiet, very peaceful, and very green. It offers everything that the Minneapolis campus does. They have a Student Services Office, a Student Center, everything but smaller and less chaotic. No big lines or anything  like that.

What did you like most about living in Bailey Hall? (question)

Bailey Hall is very much a community. There is only one residence hall in Saint Paul so you pretty much get to know each other, not everyone but you know who people were. It is very peaceful and quiet and has everything the Minneapolis campus does but on a much smaller scale. So it was a great experience.

What kind of activities have you gotten involved in? (question)

I've gotten involved in volunteer and leadership opportunities and those have helped me greatly. Not only to help my community but to help myself further my leadership skills. So that has been very helpful.

What was your experience like working with CFANS faculty? (question)

The faculty are pretty involved, especially in CFANS. I had a Professor my first semester, who even though the class had about 70 students, he still got to know me personally and even to this day, a year later, I see him on campus and he remembers me and we talk. He knows me on a first name basis.

Hi, my name is Myah Walker and I'm an Animal Science major and a Biology minor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

Why did you choose to come to the University of Minnesota (question)

I came to the University of Minnesota because I knew they had a good Animal Science/Pre Vet program and my goal was to become a Veterinarian.  I wanted to be close to home and I am from the Twins Cities area. It was familiar to me and I really like Minnesota.

What do you like most about the Saint Paul Campus? (question)

The St. Paul campus is one of the main reasons I came to the University of Minnesota. I was dead set against coming here because I didn't know if I wanted to be that close to home at first, but when I came to visit I just saw how beautiful it was. I felt at home when I was here. I just like how small it is and how it's a small community in itself.

What kind of activities have you gotten involved in? (question)

I'm on the CFANS Student Board. I'm also in the MANRRS program and I'm a St. Paul Ambassador. Being involved here on campus allows me to have a more personal experience here at the University of Minnesota. It's such a big school but being involved in organizations allows you to have a smaller group of friends and actually makes me feel like I am making more of a difference here on campus.

What did you like most about living in Bailey Hall? (question)

Bailey Hall was a really good place for me to live. I lived there for two years. My freshman year I lived in the Student Learning Community, the Pre Vet floor. It allowed me to interact with students that were in my major. So we had opportunities to study with each other and just get a feel for who was in our major. Bailey Hall also offers a lot of fun things to do, rent movies, play ping pong, study rooms to study in or play music. It's just a really good community all together. And the dining hall is good, they have really good bakery treats.

My name is Brandon Cofield. I'm a Junior this year. I'm a Nutrition major and specializing in Dietetics.

What do you like most about CFANS? (question)

I have to say that what I like most about CFANS is how personable it is. The people that you meet, your advisors, teachers, counselors, all tend to be in a small community. They have their own little team building things, students have team building and everybody is kind of geared towards making you have a successful transition going into the professional world.

What do you like most about the Saint Paul campus? (question)

Saint Paul campus provides a unique feeling in a big city. It kind of gives you a feel of a small town campus while just being down the street from the bigger campus on East Bank. So it give you that chance to not be just 1 in 40,000 but maybe 1 in 10,000 and you get a chance to know people if you see them more.

What has your experience been like working with staff in CFANS? (question)

The staff here at the University of Minnesota Saint Paul Campus have to be the most beneficial and caring that I have experienced since I've been in school or before. I got constant phone calls over the summer and updates on what was going on here on campus, and just talking to them so I'd have someone to know when I did come here since I am an out of state student. Since I have been here everyone has been very welcoming, warming and keeping me involved and on track to do what I need to do here as a student.

What kinds of activities have you been involved in? (question)

Since I've arrived at the University of Minnesota I have been involved with lots of different things from athletics to student organization and different clubs and membership rolls. So far it's been the best things I've decided to do. Being involved gives you a chance to be around people, be in a study groups. It has given me a chance to branch out on campus and learn more about me.

What is MANRRS and why did you choose to join the organization? (question)

MANRRS stands for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, and it's a student organization that is based on the Saint Paul Campus for minority students from Nutrition to Applied Economics and Fisheries and Wildlife. It presents probably in the biggest sense a chance for students to have a good foundation going into the real world, the professional world. You learn different things about professionalism in regards to dress, resume writing, and other workshops. For incoming freshmen MANRRS is very useful because it gets you acquainted with campus and different things like the career learning center and different resume writing workshops that they have available around here and just different writing programs, where the libraries are. All sorts of things in regards to One Stop and everyone come to talk to you to make sure you feel comfortable on campus so that your 4 years, 5 years, however many years you will be here, you'll have a good base.

Have you had any internships? (question)

Personally I'm an out of state kid so I have had internships, some back home and some here. This last summer I did take part in an internship experience with the Public Health Department with Hennepin County. I enjoyed it because I got a chance to go around Hennepin County and visit all sides of town and see all different ethnic groups, and whether it be down on Lake Street, near Brooklyn Park, Sherwood, I've been all over the place. So internships are really good to get further acquainted with your surroundings because prior to this last summer the campus was my world.

My name is Chandara Rattanasitthi and I'm a Food Science major.

Why did you choose CFANS? (question)

I choose CFANS because CFANS had my major which is Food Science and there are not very many schools that offer a Food Science major, which is why I chose to come to the U.

What kinds of activities have you been involved in? (question)

I've been involved in lots of programs. I'm involved in the CFANS Mentor Programs, I am involved in MANNRS which I am the Vice President of this year. I'm involved with Gospel Choir and volunteering at the Minnesota Children's Museum. With all these activities I've had the opportunity to get to know a lot of people and make a lot of connections and networking professionally.

What did you like most about living in Bailey Hall? (question)

What I really liked about Bailey Hall was that since it was in Saint Paul, the friends that I made there are friends that I still have today. They're still my really good friends.

My name is Tim Sosa, I'm a senior in Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation Biology.

Why did you choose CFANS? (question)

Anything imaginable is available to students, from legal services for landlord disputes to research opportunities with faculty. There are programs that will pay for you to assist faculty with research and that's something that you might not get at a smaller school.

What do you like most about the Saint Paul campus? (question)

It's small and intimate and it's easier to find places to study or meet with groups on projects. You know most of the people here by the time you are an upperclassman, you're not as anonymous.

What kinds of activities have you gotten involved in? (question)

I've had the opportunity to be involved in a couple of volunteer activities. Tutoring students in science, that was really rewarding. Plus I've been able to get involved in research which has helped me to explore aspects of my major that I would not have been able to see in the classroom.

Hey, I'm Taheliz Rivera. I'm a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. My current major is Nutrition.

Why did you choose to get involved with MANRRS? (question)

I choose to get involved with MANNRS because it's based on a minority people and it's really fun. I like that I got to meet new people from younger students to students my age, and a lot of older students. We get to do community service which is really fun and we get involved in the community. We also go get to go on trips for conferences and we get to go to different places. This year we went to Disney World and who knows where we'll be going next year. It's a really fun club and I would advise everyone to do it.

Hello, my name isLeke Ogunep and I'm a senior this year in Applied Economics in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

Why did you choose to come to the University of Minnesota? (question)

I choose to come to the University of Minnesota because I was born in raised in Minnesota and always knew that I wanted to come to the U. Economics has always been my passion and so I knew that when I came here I wanted to be involved in a major like that. So I choose Applied Economics because I knew it was an opportunity where I would learn and benefit the most compared to every other thing at the U.

Have you had any internship internships? (question)

Yes, I have had an internship. Over this past summer I did an internship with United Health Group. I was a business analyst for the company and it was a great opportunity for me to use the knowledge that I have learned in the classroom in the real world.