Alumni Spotlight

Name: Allison Raines

Current Title: Processing and Receiving Manager

Organization: Cobalt Cattle

Majors: B.S. Animal Sciences and Industry ‘19

K-State College of Ag is proud to recognize alumni from all departments who continue to pursue their passion in their respective fields. It is through experience that we continue to grow as individuals and stewards of the industry. Through those experiences, we hope to be a continued resource for the next generation of K-State students to lean on for advice and continue to build our network!

Why did you choose K-State?

Both of my parents went to K-State, and I grew up in the small town of Ulysses, Kansas. I grew up going to K-State football games, K-State basketball games and sometimes K-State volleyball games. My dad always loved the area, so we spent a lot of time there. He’s from Chase County, so it’s kind of like going back home for him. Through 4-H, we did a lot of events with K-State, and that solidified that K-State is where I wanted to be.

I did a tour at K-State and loved it, so that’s where I went. Animal science came naturally. I wanted to go to the pre-vet option, but I also wanted to come out with some kind of degree, so animal science was next.

What role did hands-on learning play in your academic career?

I was on the dairy judging team in college, which was very hands-on. It involved a lot of training, a lot of traveling and a lot of public speaking prep. Since I didn’t come from a dairy background, it was a steep learning curve, but it made it easier to learn how the coach wanted us to perform. So that was very hands-on and intense for about 10 months.

I was able to take multiple hands-on labs, such as the anatomy and physiology lab, which was awesome. Having the opportunity to go to the Beef Stocker Unit and take the artificial insemination course with Dr. Nichols was an incredible learning experience. I don’t think all colleges allow those types of experiences, and I think it’s awesome that K-State does.

What is one piece of advice that you would give your college self?

I’d probably say to be more involved. A lot of the people I lived with weren’t necessarily in ag, but some of my best memories and experiences are with people in the ag industry and at ag events. So I would encourage myself to join more clubs. I think not graduating a year early, getting to spend the fourth year at K-State, would have been incredible. Really just slowing down. A lot of us get in a hurry and we want to graduate and enter the workforce. But you’re only in college once, so I wish I had slowed down and taken my time and been more present.

What does a week in your life look like?

Mondays are a lot of meetings with procurement and planning for the week. I make sure the weekend went smoothly and correct any issues that happened. Then I touch base with the other department managers to ensure we are set up to receive and ship the appropriate cattle for the week, based on headcounts and other factors.

Tuesday is a lot of receiving cattle and continuing to communicate our safety programs and expectations, which is a lot of people management. My whole day is about people. We say that the best and worst parts of our job are the people, and that’s very true. Wednesdays are a lot of the same. There’s a lot of fighting fires and making sure our people have what they need to complete their daily roles. I get to do a lot of the communicating with our outside contractors and I make sure we’re providing the support needed.

Thursdays and Fridays are typically pretty slow. I wrap up for the week, making sure that our weekend crew is prepared to take over and that we have the personnel here.

Is there a specific program in the Animal Sciences and Industry program that you have seen the positive effects of in your professional career?

A program I didn’t participate in but wish I had is the K-State Feedlot Bootcamp they host every year. It’s about a week right before you go back for the spring semester. You get to tour several large feed yards in our area. One of the night events is interview prep, and our Vice President of Operations, Keith Bryant, assists with the event. During the speed interviews, each student is given around 10 minutes, and then you rotate through. We’ve pulled a lot of great interns from that experience. We’ve also pulled some full-time employees from that experience. So I think the boot camp is a great experience if you want to network, if you’re looking for a summer internship and even if you’re looking for full-time employment post-graduation.

I get to be on the other side of that now. I get to interview the attending students, and they get to tour many different facilities. I think that would have been an incredible opportunity in college.