Jerman Scholar: Kate Maddy

Kate Maddy, fourth year Agri-Food Marketing with Business Studies student, and recipient of the Jerman Scholarship.

“As final year is critical to the success of my degree, I applied for a scholarship so that the financial pressure would be taken off and I could take a break from my normal Easter lambing work to put my full focus into my dissertation and remaining assignments”, says Kate, 24.

“I am incredibly passionate about my dissertation topic, investigating the effect of cattle breed and age on meat quality. So far, I have invested a substantial amount of time, effort and some of my own money into carrying out my data collection. This award will help me to cover some of these costs but also help with carrying out further research to make my project a true success.”

Kate, from Gladestry, Powys, decided to return to education at Harper after some time away. “I am from a small rural village in the Welsh Marches and have always had a keen interest in the rural environment. After two years working for Marks and Spencer as a manager when I finished A-levels, I decided I wanted to complete a degree. I chose to do Agri-Food Marketing with Business Studies at Harper Adams, partly because of Harper’s reputation but also the broad nature of the course covering a variety of topics, including basic agriculture.

“I do not regret my decision. It has provided me with many opportunities and inspiration for my future career. My placement year at ABP UK was an excellent experience, giving me the chance to try something completely new that I would not have considered before. This has motivated my interest in meat science and in the future, I hope to work within the research and development side of the red meat industry.”

Aside from her studies, Kate enjoys honing her outgoing side. “In my spare time, I am an active member of Young Farmer’s Club, and particularly enjoy competing for my club in things like pantomime and public speaking. I recently received an award for being the ‘most enthusiastic member."