As a high schooler, Emily Treon ’22 dreamed of owning a vet clinic. And like many freshmen, she thought of an animal science degree as a path to vet school. But her perspective shifted once she started work at the Berry College dairy.
Treon’s dairy experience started simply — mixing rations and milking cows. However, she quickly moved up to shift leader, overseeing the daily routine of the dairy and administering medicine and vaccines. By the end of freshman year, Treon was completing pregnancy checks and working alongside the college vet. At this point, she started second-guessing her plans. “I enjoyed the processes of the dairy,” she explains. “But I didn’t want to medically treat the animals. I enjoyed the ‘why’ of animal care.”
Classes with Clinical Assistant Professor of Animal Science Laura Flatow further confirmed Treon’s career interest in animal nutrition. Mentors in the animal science program supported this new direction. Treon says, “When Berry says professors care about you, they mean it.”
Flatow reviewed her resume, emailed contacts at other schools and helped her comb through graduate programs. Associate Professor of Animal Science Sunday Peters guided Treon when she looked into the master’s program in animal physiology at West Virginia University.
“Dr. Peters had a former student there, and he reached out to him immediately,” Treon remembers. “The next thing I knew, I had a graduate research assistantship offer in his student’s lab. I went over spring break to get to know the lab, the students and the farm, and it was a great fit.” She anticipates a career as an animal nutritionist for a pet food company or local farm.
Treon expresses gratitude for how Berry allowed her to gain a variety of skill sets. She received a business minor and managed the team marketing cheese affiliated with the student-run Jersey Milk Enterprise. She also spent time working in the admission office and on the student activities committee that runs Marthapalooza (the on-campus carnival that occurs on Mountain Day when the college celebrates the birthday of college founder Martha Berry).
At first glance, these experiences might not seem connected to her other areas of study, but for Treon, they were invaluable: “I learned how to work with a team, how to communicate with outside vendors and all that went into putting together a large-scale event.” She laughs, noting the connections between being Marthapalooza food and drink chair and running the operations for animal nutrition.
For students heading to Berry, Treon gives this advice: “Berry has more opportunities than you can imagine, but you must reach out for them. I was much less confident coming in than going out, and that’s what Berry does — the people around you push you to see what you can accomplish. I might have reached out for opportunities, but Berry mentors gave me the confidence to try.”
