Ripe for Success

[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 2  12 May - 9 June 2008 ]

Chloe Thomson graduated with Honours from a University of Melbourne Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 2004. In her final of year of study she discovered the University’s mentoring program

Chloe is now a Communications Manager for Certified Organics Limited, a small company that produces plant-derived herbicide which is certified organic and distributed to food growers Australia-wide.

She is responsible for all written communications the company produces, including newsletters, product information booklets and website maintenance. Her position provides an opportunity to use the skills she gained from her Agricultural Science degree, drawing on a knowledge of sustainability and crop maintenance, while working with the growers themselves.

Previously, Chloe worked at the Victorian Strawberry Industry group as a Development Officer, where she was also able to promote change and the industry by working directly with the growers.

As a graduate, Chloe sees the value of the mentoring program as an invaluable experience for the students involved, as well as for the mentors themselves.

She notes that contacts and industry knowledge are both vital in the agricultural industry, and the mentoring program assists students to develop both these aspects.

Chloe became a mentor because she wanted to show Agricultural Science students the wide-ranging opportunities available to them when they graduate and expects to see some of the students she has mentored in an industry context over the coming years. As a mentor, Chloe has found that the program assists her to stay in contact with the University, and updates her on how the Agricultural Sciences course has changed since she was a student.


MAKING CONNECTIONS

Mentoring and volunteering are great ways to meet like-minded people and share knowledge.

For more information about the mentoring program at the University of Melbourne, and registering as a mentor, please contact the Career Mentoring Connection on the University website:

www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers/student/mentoring

For more information on volunteering opportunities at the University of Melbourne visit

www.unimelb.edu.au/alumni/volunteering