SRUC showed me just how many different paths are possible

“Coming from a non-farming background, I never imagined studying agriculture would lead me towards opportunities across the world. SRUC showed me just how many different paths are possible.”

For Holly Rodger, studying agriculture has been about far more than farming. The 20-year-old from Aberdeen is graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture and is preparing for an exciting future that will take her from farms to oceans around the world.

Despite growing up in Aberdeen city centre with no farming background, Holly developed a love of agriculture from an early age after helping on farms from the age of 12.

She said: “I’d been helping on farms since I was 12 and decided I wanted to continue exploring that interest. SRUC felt like the right place to do that.”

Throughout her studies, Holly enjoyed a positive experience, developing her agricultural knowledge while discovering opportunities she had never expected.

One of the defining moments of her time at SRUC was taking part in the Arkansas Study Tour in 2023, which proved to be a turning point in her academic journey.

She said: “The Arkansas Study Tour was an amazing opportunity. It really motivated me to stay on after completing my HND and continue to the honours degree. It also gave me the confidence to think about studying even further.”

Although graduating in agriculture, Holly’s ambitions now lie in a very different field. She plans to spend the next two years travelling the world through work and volunteering before heading to the University of Miami to study for a master’s degree in marine mammalogy.

She said: “Agriculture has given me skills that can be applied in so many different ways. I’m excited to spend the next couple of years travelling and gaining new experiences before starting my master’s. It’s a completely different direction, but my time at SRUC has given me the confidence to follow the opportunities that inspire me.”

From a city upbringing to agriculture, international travel and a future in marine science, Holly’s journey shows that studying at SRUC can open doors to careers and experiences far beyond the traditional expectations of the sector.