Kynzi Cole, a senior double majoring in Animal Science and Agricultural Communications hailing from Richfield, Wisconsin, reflects on her time at Iowa State and looks forward to the impact she will have in her future career.
Cole accredits her mom, a former vet-tech, for her love and passion for the animal industry. “She got me involved in 4-H and I started showing sheep, and it's just gone from there,” Cole explained. After deciding to pursue further education in the field of animal science, Cole toured multiple universities, but none of them felt quite as right for her as Iowa State University. “I remember loving the atmosphere here, from the campus to the people, it all just felt right. I remember talking with Dr. Sterle about the program and immediately feeling seen as an individual and not as a number.”
It is safe to say that Cole dove headfirst into all Iowa State had to offer, getting involved in multiple student organizations, including Block & Bridle, Bacon Expo, and decided to pick up an additional major in agricultural communications. While balancing her activities and classes, Cole works as an AnSci Peer Mentor and Retail Student Manager at the ISU Creamery. She says her time mentoring freshmen in animal science has been the most impactful experience for her. “I have had such a great group of students, and I love seeing them grow in their abilities and confidence during their first semester.” She explained that she feels like her main role as their mentor is to help make their transition from high school into college as smooth as possible and be a resource for them. “I love that I can give them all the inside tips and tricks that I wish someone would have told me my first semester.”
During Cole’s time at Iowa State, she has had the opportunity to complete multiple internships. Her freshmen summer was spent working as a Vet Assistant and Cole said this experience taught her customer service skills and not only how to work with animals but how to work with people as well. Cole’s sophomore summer was spent researching how colostrum impacts pre-weaning mortality as a Swine Research Intern for Reicks View Farms. It was here that she developed a huge passion for pigs and saved many lives in day-one care. Cole reflected on this by stating, “At the end of the day, I saved a life, and that life is going to help feed the world.”
Her final internship was as a Repro and Breeding Intern for ABS Global. “This internship taught me how to sell products and how to effectively build a relationship because that is at the very core of sales.” Cole’s appreciation for the livestock industry and the people within it is more than evident, and she looks forward to starting her professional career as a Salesman for ABS Global after graduation. “I am excited to build relationships, expand my abilities, and sell a super sustainable, high-quality product.”
When asked if there was an achievement, she was most proud of, Cole stated, “I am proud of myself for using the past four years to figure out my own individuality and building my confidence. It has helped me to accomplish my goals, and I hope it allows me to better serve producers in our industry.”
Kynzi’s Tips for new students in the Animal Science Department:
- Kindness gets you further than anything else in life.
- Never underestimate someone, including yourself.
- Absolutely no one has it all together.
- If you are going to choose any class to not miss, don’t miss Repro.