Year 12 graduates shine in school ag subjects

Westminster College student Lydia Sanders, Clare, received a merit for agricultural production, and said agriculture had always been her favourite subject going through school.

"I enjoy ag at school because it gives you an opportunity to learn about all the different aspects of the industry," she said.

"Even though I'm off a property, there are things you wouldn't learn there, and you don't focus on, ag at school gives you that extra bit of exposure."

While she enjoys all aspects of agriculture, livestock is her favourite part. She has been heavily involved in her family's Ballyvaughan Murray Grey stud, and, along with sister Hannah, has launched her own stud, Ballyclare Murray Greys.

Ms Sanders is having taking a gap year next year, before hopefully studying agribusiness and getting into a career in the cattle industry.

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Matilda Dent, who received a merit for animal production at Urrbrae Agricultural High School, said she was "so happy" with her results.

"It's always exciting seeing hard work pay off, it's a big effort that I put in this year, and I'm very pleased with how it's turned out," she said.

Now living in Glenalta, Ms Dent grew up in Clare, where her love of agriculture was born.

"A lot of my friends had farms, and I did some work with a cattle farmer so I guess that's where my interest started," she said.

"If you asked me four years ago, I definitely would have said livestock was my favourite part of agriculture, but dipping your feet into other aspects of the industry really opens up your eyes.

"I loved the horticulture and cropping side, so now I don't really have a preference."

Ms Dent has just returned from helping out some relatives with harvest on the Eyre Peninsula, and hopes to study veterinary bioscience at the University of Adelaide next year.

Trinity College student William Smith, Cockatoo Valley, received a merit for agricultural production.

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"I have always had an interest in agriculture and thought it could be a career option," he said.

He has been involved in agriculture from a young age, helping out his grandparents on their fruit and cropping farm in the Riverland.

Mr Smith said agricultural science at school was thoroughly enjoyable.

"The ag teacher did a really good job, he had a background in soils so he involved us quite heavily in soil studies which was very interesting," Mr Smith said.

"Just the way we went through all the topics, it was really involved and I learnt quite a lot out of it."

Mr Smith thanked the Piscioneri family, Clarjon Agriculture, Concordia for their support with an external production investigation he completed, where he used one of their paddocks for hay production.

He hopes to have a career combining his passions for engineering and agriculture, potentially involving robotic fruit picking.