2020 Farm to Table Speaker: Yvette Bolanos
A Rialto native, Yvette Bolanos is a second-year transfer student from San Bernardino Valley College. A first-generation college student, she is majoring in agricultural science with an emphasis in animal science. Her career plans are either to become a veterinarian or somehow work with animals that help people with disabilities.
When I was growing up, my family and I had pets, much like many other families do. But we didn’t have much money, so when our pets got sick, we really couldn’t afford to take them to a veterinarian. Because of that experience, I wanted to become a veterinarian when I grew up, so I could take care of animals and help people who couldn’t afford care like my family.
We have relatives in West Covina, and whenever we would visit them, we would pass by Cal Poly Pomona. We would see all the animals, like horses, cows, and sheep. I remember that it inspired me because I knew that education was very important and going to Cal Poly Pomona would help me reach my dream career.
When I applied to Cal Poly Pomona, I wanted to get in on the animal science, pre-vet track. But I was accepted in agricultural science instead. At first, I was a little unsure of what to expect, because my main interest was working with animals. But as I took classes in animal health science, veterinary science, plant science, and agribusiness, I learned that it was a good thing I got in as an agriculture science major because I was able to learn about different aspects of agriculture.
Being at Cal Poly Pomona showed me that my only option isn’t just to become a veterinarian, I can follow several career paths that involve working with animals. When I took an animal companion class, I discovered that I liked working with animals. So, I am exploring working with animals that help people with disabilities as another possible career option. When we did the lab for that class at first, I was a little intimidated especially when working with the bigger animals like the horses and the sheep, but I shortly learned as I got more hands-on practice it was not as bad as I thought. That class lead me to think that one day it would be incredible to be able to even get the chance to work with all kinds of animals.
As an agriculture science major, I was also able to take agribusiness classes. Last semester, I took an ABM 2010s class where we had the opportunity to attend an PMA Fresh Summit Expo, which was interesting to attend because we were able to see aspects of agribusiness like advertising and packaging. Although I am more interested in the animal aspects of agriculture, I was very thankful for the opportunity to go. Not many people have that opportunity, and thanks to the sponsors at Cal Poly Pomona I was able to see all of what goes into the business side of agriculture.
As I attend Cal Poly Pomona, what I am most grateful for is the faculty. Professors like Kim Miller, Aaron Fox and Jon Phillips and lecturers like Kathy Earle and Melody Wallace make attending classes better. They take the time and patience to teach us and make sure we understand what we are learning. Especially in times like these where we are doing classes online, they make learning under these circumstances bearable.
The coronavirus is challenging, because it feels like we’re not getting as much out of our online classes as we would have in a face-to-face class. I have missed the everyday communication and talking with people in my classes. But I am thankful to my professors because I know they are trying their best to be there for us when we don’t understand something. Because I don’t graduate until next spring, I am hoping everything returns to normal this fall. because I felt like I wasn't learning much on my own like I would have in a face-to-face class.
Attending Cal Poly Pomona was always a dream of mine has been a really good experience. I am thankful to the professors for teaching me and for the hands-on learning opportunities, whether it’s with animals or working at Spadra Farm and the Culinary Garden. For these opportunities, I am truly grateful. Not many students form other universities can say that they had hands-on experience working with plants and animals.