Thomas Saunders wanted to be an NFU Ambassador after seeing his friend’s experience, and as of November that ambition became a reality for the BSc (Hons) Rural Enterprise and Land Management student.
As part of his application, the 21-year-old had to explain why he wanted to be an ambassador, discuss inclusivity, equality and diversity within farming and be interviewed by the NFU’s PR team.
“I received a phone call a few days later to tell me I had been successful, I was delighted and excited to get to work, says Thomas.
“The part I am most looking forward to is seeing how the NFU works and the processes that go on behind the scenes, as well as promoting British farming to the general public.”
Thomas is from a mixed livestock and arable farm in Bedfordshire, but he decided to pursue a degree in land and property management rather than agriculture.
“I’m really interested in rural life and property, so I thought that a Rural Enterprise and Land Management degree may open up a lot of opportunities, whilst still being involved in agriculture.”
“The best aspect of the course is its variety, one minute you are learning about planning and development and rural geography and economics, but then you also learn about animal production and farming systems…the course provides us with so many transferable skills and opens up a lot of avenues.”
“You’re not a number at Harper, you’re a person who is being taught the skills for a successful career. We are given a level of support that I did not think a university would offer.”
“Tutorial groups are small and lecturers are happy to provide additional one to one support to help you understand a subject. This may be five minutes after a lecture or half an hour on Microsoft Teams. I really like the fact that there is a good relationship between lecturers and students.”
“As it’s a smaller university you get to know a lot of people quite quickly and if you join a club or society, then you get to know more and more people,” says Thomas who plays rugby for Harper’s second team.
“Over time, you get to know a lot of people on campus which creates a strong community and from what I understand is quite different to other universities.”
“My favourite thing about Harper Adams, is that everyone looks out for one another.”
Harper Adams is outstanding in its field when it comes to Land and Property courses, so why not take a look?
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