Emma Frank is a graduate student at Iowa State University, studying Meat Science. Her path getting here has been unique and has taken turns along the way. Emma grew up in Rockfall, Illinois, and was extremely involved in FFA and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. To make this dream a reality, she enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 years old to cover the costs of college.
She started her education at Black Hawk East Community College after completing her Army National Guard training. Emma moved on to the University of Illinois to finish her undergraduate education. At the University of Illinois, she spent time working for the university’s swine farm and meat lab. These positions drove her desire to combine biology with animal science. She made a change to her original plan of attending veterinary school and decided to pursue a graduate program.
Reading research papers and learning more about the meat science program led her here to Iowa State University for graduate school. Iowa State also offered her great support for her continual service in the Army National Guard. She appreciates the Veterans Affairs services, the ability to return to her unit, and the SALUTE Program. The SALUTE Program is an honor society offered to students who are enlisted.
In her graduate program, Emma has been working on analyzing modern cooking methods of pork chops. She is also involved in the Meat Science Club, Meat Science Quiz Bowl, AGAS, and SALUTE Honor Society. Emma has learned how different graduate school is from her time being an undergraduate student. Emma found that you need to be able to balance many different things. Between actively researching, planning for future research, and studying for classes, it is vital to know how to work independently. Time management is also an essential skill for graduate school.
For undergraduate students who are considering a graduate program, but might be unsure, she suggests going into the industry for a year and then reassessing. “Grad school will be here if you need it, but sometimes getting experience in the industry can point you toward what you are looking to study in graduate school, or if it’s needed,” said Frank.
Being a student in the Army National Guard can have its difficulties and Emma found it was much harder to be enlisted during her undergraduate schooling. Thanks to the immense support she has here at Iowa State University, it has been a more manageable experience to do both while completing her graduate degree. She has acquired many applicable skills from serving that have been helpful to her school career. Now, as a Staff Sergeant, she has also developed leadership skills. Emma admits that it can be tough to balance school and the National Guard, with the around-the-clock work, but support from family and her professors has made her dual-enlisting possible.
Emma believes that more people should consider serving, even if they are not planning on attending college, like herself. There are a variety of different reserves, and basic training gives you experience that employers find valuable, such as ambition. She has enjoyed her time in enlistment and discovered that you get out of it what you put into it.
Emma’s advice to incoming freshmen is to “Be open to the idea of change. You may stumble upon new areas or new careers that suit you better than you expected.”