Her Story
About Courtney
After working in security for most of my life, I experienced an unexpected turning point when I was fired on my birthday. However, I had already been applying to opportunities in fields I was passionate about, and gardening just seemed like home to me - everything flows fluently when I talk about it. I got into a 4-week WORX program, which led me to my current position as an Agronomy Project Specialist, and I just love everything about my new job. In this role, I work with farmers and researchers, monitoring crop growth and field conditions, tracking project budgets and schedules, and basically giving a helping hand where it's needed. My most notable achievement is helping grow better crops by managing agriculture projects - everything I do helps improve things little by little, and I just love that for everyone, because we can all be a dean. I'm also involved with a mobile food truck program that provides affordable groceries to the elderly and people with government assistance, and we run a Saturday farmer's market where we give out or sell our crops at affordable rates you wouldn't get in a grocery store. We're trying to put more organic food back out there and let people know that you can grow your own food and live off your own land.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Courtney
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I always tell myself, never take no for an answer. You can take - someone can tell you no, but that doesn't stop your goals and your dreams. Just because one person tells you no doesn't mean somebody else won't tell you yes. It's about trusting yourself and not letting rejection stop you from pursuing what you want.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to get into an industry where it's an all-male industry, or if it's a certain type of race industry. Don't be afraid to just jump out there and take a leap of faith. You shouldn't let gender or race barriers stop you from entering a field you're passionate about.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that everyone comes in at an entry level, so it's basically a learning experience. The main challenge is just learning new things and understanding how different fields run differently based on the original farmer. It's basically just going with the flow of how they run things and adapting to different farming operations and management styles.
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