Eketāhuna student’s surprise agricultural award

Alyssa Hayes has been studying agribusiness at Massey University and was given the William Gerrish Award at the annual awards dinner. She's pictured here with Professor Nicola Shadbolt. Photo / Massey University

Alyssa Hayes was shocked when she was announced as one of the top students of the year at Massey University’s School of Agriculture and Environment.

The top six students from agricultural science, agribusiness, animal science, horticulture, earth and environmental sciences were named at the 30th annual awards evening, held in October.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it,” she admits. “I knew I was in the top three, but I didn’t think I’d be the one to get it. It was amazing.”

The student from Eketāhuna received the William Gerrish Award, which a spokesperson from Massey University says was the top award for the evening.

It was “made possible by the Gerrish Family in memory of Bill Gerrish, who championed an annual prize to recognise an outstanding Massey student in farm management”.

The award is given to the student who demonstrates a “high level of personal integrity, intellectual curiosity, vision and social conscience”.

Alyssa has been studying agribusiness through distance learning, majoring in farm management, but isn’t really from a farming background.

“I was brought up by my dad,” she says. “He was a solo dad for me and my brother.”

She then met her best friend, whose grandfather had a sheep and beef farm at Alfredton.

“We spent quite a bit of time out there when I was growing up, and that’s probably where my passion was sparked.”

Her friend’s mum now owns and operates the farm, and Alyssa still helps out when she can.

Alyssa says this year would have been her final year, but because she was doing distance learning, some courses weren’t offered every year, meaning she still has three courses to go, including a practical paper.

Once she has her degree, she has a few options available, such as agricultural consultancy, rural lending and managing farms.

“Pretty much anything in the agribusiness sector,” she says.

However, firstly she’ll be looking at getting a role that would give her actual hands-on experience “so I know what I’m talking about” before she looks to join a consultancy.