From multiple internships, studying abroad, heavy involvement on campus, and more, Addison Randall has utilized Iowa State and the animal science program to build her way to her future career. Hailing from Letts, Iowa, Addison knew from her sophomore year of high school that Iowa State and the Department of Animal Science was the right place for her. After taking a visit to campus, seeing the campanile, and meeting Jodi Sterle, she knew she wanted to follow in her dad’s footsteps.
Addison will graduate in May with a double major in animal science and agricultural communications. She has been heavily involved for the past four years, holding the vice president position in Sigma Alpha and serving as the events coordinator for the Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow Club. She is also a member of Block and Bridle and an AnCy Guide, as well as working as a student content creator within the animal science department.
After graduation, Addison plans to start a career in the livestock industry that applies to both of her majors. After interning with Elanco this past summer, she has discovered her passion for sales. Addison enjoys assisting producers in reaching their production and management goals as well as talking with and meeting new people. Long term, Addison wants to leave a positive impact on the livestock industry. “My passion lies with swine, but things can change. I really care about the entire agriculture industry and want to help producers reach their goals.”
Her favorite class is ANS 225: Swine Science, taught by her favorite professor, Laura Greiner. “Dr. Greiner is my academic advisor, and I’ve enjoyed growing closer to her over my time at college. She has always been there to listen and offer advice when I need it. Students- don’t be afraid to go talk to your advisors and get to know them. They are worth their weight in gold.”
When asked about the favorite thing she has been a part of at Iowa State, Addison talked about her experience studying abroad. She was deciding between traveling to the United Kingdom or the United Arab Emirates and ultimately chose the UAE because she would be less likely to go there by herself. She said, “Junior year, I got to spend ten days in Dubai. We were there purely to see, learn, and explore. It was amazing to see so many unique things like a pearl farm, camel dairy, and an outdoor market, but I think what stood out most to me was how welcoming and open the Arab culture was.”
Addison is most proud of figuring out who she is and where her values lie during her time at Iowa State. “It’s easy to adopt your values from others during high school. In college, you have to figure out what you are going to prioritize, where your interests lie, and who you will spend your time with. Filtering through all of these choices and decisions can be a challenge to navigate at first but is such an important step to take.”
When asked if she had any advice for current students, Addison replied, “Learn how to define success for yourself and don’t let other people determine it. Your measure of success may appear very different from other individuals, and that’s okay. You have to decide what your own success looks like; you won’t ever reach it if you allow others to make that decision for you.”