Harper Ireland chairman earns scholarship

Posted 20 March 2017

Due to being Harper Ireland chairman Philip Gillespie, 20, organises a number of events for the society along with being one of the main organisers for the Paddy’s Day Ball at the University.

These experiences give Philip a great opportunity to demonstrate his leadership and budgeting skills.

They also played a key part in his application for the scholarship with Aviagen, which he’s been awarded, in association with the British Poultry Council (BPC).

BSc (Hons) Agriculture student Phillip, from Armagh, Country Armagh, said: “I run a club open to all of the Irish students at Harper.

“I organise meetings and event days, such as paintballing and go-karting, so we can all meet-up and socialise. It’s a great network for any Irish student and is especially fantastic for arriving as a fresher.

“Due to my role in the society, I’m also one of the main organisers of the Paddy’s Day Ball. This is a huge event which plays a key role in the student calendar. We organise the ball for the students of Harper Adams, with a capacity of 2,350 people.

“The profits from the ball go towards the Harper Ireland Scholarships. It’s my job as chairman to select the recipients of these awards. The club also donates some of the profits to charity; these charities personally effect some of the members of the club.”

Other roles that Philip is involved in includes being the academic representative for agriculture year two. In this role he sits on the course committee to represent and voice the views students have about the course.

On receiving his scholarship, Philip said: “The scholarship will not only take pressure off me financially but also aids me in my career aspiration of working within the poultry industry in the future.

“I’d like to thank Aviagen and the BPC for this opportunity. This is a life changing event in my life. Without Harper Adams I would never have had this opportunity.

“During my placement year with the company next year, I’ll be working in the hatchery, pedigree farms and grandparent stock farms with three months overseas. I’ll learn all about bio-security and how different conditions affect poultry production.

"Coming from a mixed dairy farm in Northern Ireland this will be a very different but eye opening experience and I welcome a future in the poultry industry.”