Leeann Morgan

Leeann Morgan was itching for a new challenge after being a school teacher for 12 years.

Having grown up on a sheep and beef farm in Northland, she was looking for an interesting new career that would combine her passion for both education and agribusiness.

Waikato Management School’s Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness fit the bill perfectly, says Leeann, giving her the industry expertise she needed.

“The agribusiness department at Waikato Management School has an excellent reputation, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed when I started classes. I can’t speak highly enough of my lecturers; they were fantastic. Waikato was the most amazing agribusiness programme to be associated with.”

“I really enjoyed all the field trips to visit a wide range of companies, such as Tatua Cooperative Dairy Company in Morrinsville."

“We also had guest speakers in class from hugely successful export businesses such as Zespri, whose first-hand insights gave us a much better understanding of what it’s like to be working in the agribusiness sector."

"Agribusiness class sizes are quite small, which allowed for a lot of class discussion and one-on-one-time with your lecturers. Also, the networking opportunities at Waikato were incredible."

Leeann now has her ideal job: she works as a school engagement manager for New Zealand Young Farmers.

“I visit schools throughout New Zealand and tell young people about the many exciting job opportunities available to them in the primary industries," says Leeann.

“New Zealand is world-famous for food production; it’s what we do best and how our economy makes money, so the agricultural industry is always looking for the best and brightest talents."

"A job wearing gumboots is only the first part of the value chain, and there's a huge demand for skilled people."

“We also provide free resources and internal assessments for school teachers. For example, we might use survey data from Beef + Lamb as part of a statistics or economics assignment."