Where Do You Fit?

How are you supposed to know what you want to do for the rest of your life before you take any classes in the field? You’re not.

John Putnam, a fifth-year senior in the College of Agriculture, came to Auburn planning to become an architect. After 3 weeks, Putnam discovered he couldn’t draw and architecture was not for him.

“I sucked at drawing,” said Putnam. “You have no idea how hard it is to draw a straight line.”

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Frustrated, Putnam called his parents. After talking with his dad, Putnam decided to go check out the College of Agriculture.

“I went there and it was just what I was looking for,” said Putnam. “It had that small town feel. It just like the town I was raised in. I wanted to be in a college small enough that I could develop relationships with my professors.”

Putnam has been given many unique opportunities because of the experience he gained while in the classroom.

“The education I have had because of the College of Agriculture way surpassed my expectations of what a college education could be,” said Putnam.

Putnam has been able to take many unique classes while in school. One of the classes most valuable to him was a class where students are given the opportunity to raise their own chickens. This class shows students the process of raising a healthy flock of chickens from birth.

“This was my favorite class while at Auburn,” said Putnam. “This put all my classroom experience to work.”

Not only does Putnam receive excellent classroom instruction, he also receives real world experience in his field. He has taken two internships while in college. The first internship came his junior year with Perdue Farms, and the second his senior year with Cobb-Vantress Inc.

“This gave me the opportunity to spend a lot of time out on the farms with chicken growers,” said Putnam. “It was important for me to take the experiences that I learned there back into the classroom.”

Putnam is in his last semester at Auburn and is expected to graduate in December. His future plans are to “work with chicken.”

“The College of Agriculture has prepared me to work in any level of the chicken business,” said Putnam. “I would advise any student who doesn’t know what they want to do to check out agriculture. It was a great fit for me and it can be for you too.”