A career in the country

It may have taken a decade, but Carissa Horsey has finally found her true calling.

The Ipswich born and raised Bachelor of Agricultural Science graduate didn’t think university was for her when she finished high school in 2011.

“I wanted to be a jillaroo and muster cattle,” said Miss Horsey.

“But, to make mum happy I flicked through the QTAC booklet and picked out what I thought looked interesting.”

“I was accepted into a Paramedic Science degree, but it wasn’t right for me”.

The 28-year-old decided to try her hand at farming and spent the next few years harvesting and packing on her uncle’s organic beetroot farm near Gatton in the Lockyer Valley.

“I thought cropping was pretty cool and ended up completing Certificates III and IV in Agriculture,” said Miss Horsey.

As part of her practical block, she headed to north-west New South Wales, where she landed a job as an irrigation farm hand.

“I really liked it, I was working with cotton, learning about irrigation and cultivation, preparing fields, spraying, and tractor driving”.

“UQ’s Agricultural Science degree is highly regarded and it’s close to home,” Miss Horsey said.

She graduated with first class honours this year and is living in Jerilderie in the New South Wales Riverina region where she works at the SunRice Research Facility (RRAPL).

“I’m looking after trials associated with UQ’s rice project, which aims to develop aerobic rice that will grow without the need for lots of water,” Miss Horsey said.

“Water offers insulation and protection from the cold, so I’m working on varieties that are tolerant to the cooler weather here in the Riverina.

“It’s an interesting spot to be right now, and I have a hand in developing technologies for the future of rice in Australia.”

Carissa Horsey now has the best of both worlds – a career and a country lifestyle.

UQ will confer 5400 students this month, including students who were unable to attend graduation ceremonies in 2020 and 2021.

Image left: Carissa and classmates learning to ride motorbikes at Ag College.
 

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