Majors: Animal Science, Dairy Science and Life Sciences Communication
Year: Senior
CALS senior, Tawny Chandler, is proud of her accomplishments over the past four years. She has an impressive resume with three majors, two internships and involvement in several student organizations. “I didn’t expect to do as much or as well in school as I have done,” said Tawny.
Tawny attributes her success to her willingness to get involved at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a freshman, “I hit the ground running. I got involved in Badger Dairy Club, Association of Women in Agriculture and Saddle and Sirloin and I took a course load I thought I could manage really well.”
She used her involvement in student organizations to secure internships with Bader Rutter and Cargill Meat Solutions during college. One of her student organizations gave her the tools she needed to be successful when searching for internships. “What was really great about the Association of Women in Agriculture is that you come in as a freshman and you go through an interview process that teaches you how to interview. We also go through a resume review that teaches us how to build a great resume,” said Tawny. “The resume showcases accomplishments in a way that really gets noticed.”
She also decided to participate in a study abroad opportunity in Sweden. “I knew it was going to be rough, but I wanted to branch out and learn another culture and be immersed in it,” said Tawny. “When you come back and have that international experience on your resume, employers are going to ask you about it. Being able to show them what you learned says a lot about your character.”
Once she had the foundation, Tawny used networking events to reach people and organizations who could further her career. “One thing that really helped me get my internships were the career fairs planned twice a year,” said Tawny. “Both of the internships I had I wasn’t necessarily aiming towards, I just wanted to go to the career fair and see what the options were. I talked to companies and gave them my resume and I said I would be interested in an internship. They gave me an interview and things went from there.”
After graduation, Tawny plans to pursue law school. Tawny said, “I want to work as an agriculture attorney and a communicator for the agriculture industry, trying to bridge that gap between consumers and agricultural producers.”
