Jimmy and Donkey have found a home at Dookie. While Liza Hearmon rides Jimmy six times a week, she said Donkey was great ‘for just hanging with’.
The hunt for inspiration takes little time when one crosses paths with Liza Hearmon.
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The third-year undergraduate is in the final leg of her Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree at the Dookie campus of the University of Melbourne.
“As long as I have my animals with me, I’m fine,” Liza said.
To that end, Country News met Liza’s 15-hand quarter horse Jimmy and her Donkey, known simply as ‘Donkey’.
While Jimmy gets ridden six days a week (“I try to give him a rest on Wednesdays”), Donkey is there for moral support and generally to ‘hang’ with.
Liza’s advice for the next generation involves courage.
“Don’t say ‘no’ to any opportunities, regardless of how nervous you are,” she said.
“Literally, don’t turn down opportunities and always say ‘yes’.”
Liza was awarded the Seymour Agriculture and Graziers Society Scholarship in March this year to assist with her tuition to the value of $5000.
She has nothing but praise for studying at Dookie.
“I am loving it — still loving it — and definitely would recommend it to anyone wanting to enter the ag industry,” she said.
“It’s the best thing I have ever done.”
Liza has not followed a typical academic path and is quite honest with how she has made her way, which included completing the Diploma in General Studies (DiGS) offered to non-school finishers as a taster to further study.
“I didn’t really like school, I wasn’t really good about it, and when my parents asked about studying after school I didn’t think it was a really good idea,” she said.
“So I did the DiGS diploma first to see how I liked it.
“The DiGS is good because it can get you into any bachelor at Melbourne Uni and at Dookie, some students get into science, some into vet science.”
Liza’s message to high school kids — regardless of their enthusiasm — is to be inspired by knowing about the many industry contacts that makes studying agriculture successful and fulfilling.
“The contacts I have made are ridiculous — livestock companies, genetics companies and the professional development skills I have learned.
“I am definitely happy that I chose to study at uni’.”
Liza Hearnon has benefitted from a scholarship that is helping her finish her degree at Dookie.
Although the first semester of the degree was required to be undertaken in Melbourne, the return to the ‘farm campus’ at Dookie for the remainder has made the journey rewarding.
Having started to specialise subjects in her second year, Liza is now focusing her study on animal genetics, physiology and behaviour, as well as a subject on animals and society.
The scholarship, given to a young person in the Seymour district each year, was first awarded in 1999 and can have up to eight candidates in any given year.
Fields of study can be as diverse as agriculture, veterinary science, natural resource management, environmental engineering and medicine.
Tony Wallis is one of three trustees who award the scholarship, which raised more than its yearly target before June last year.
“It’s a tall order to get this up,” Tony said.
“We do a mail out to seek contributions from people, but we also got a sizeable donation from the Seymour Ag and Pastoral Society itself.”
Tony first met Liza working for him as a rouseabout in his wool shed.
She then returned to the business as a wool classer.
“I then saw her volunteering at a Poll Merino Rrm sale and thought ‘here’s a really good young person’, so we were really pleased to award the scholarship to her.”
Liza said the opportunity came when a contractor visited the college looking for students to work in wool sheds.
“I loved the first day as a rouseabout and I loved working with the animals, training my own dogs and meeting people — it’s everything I love about the wool industry,” she said.
“And then Tony mentioned the scholarship; I would not have known about it if I wasn’t there.“
Liza said she was very keen to start work after graduation, but was keeping her options open.
“Where to from here? Gosh, well the meat industry is definitely something I am interested in with sheep and beef,” she said.
“I wouldn’t mind going into sheep genetics and I have some work experience lined up in Jerilderie.
“I find it all super interesting — I am so ready to work.”
Liza said living with other students on campus created an ‘amazing vibe’.
“I would say these people are more like my family than my friends,” she said.
“The people I did DiGS with and who I live with now are some of my closest best mates.
“It’s pretty cool to have these people, who are in the industry, in my life.”
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