By Susan Houston Klaus
Krutsinger Beef Scholar Loves Hard Work
For Lydia Ockander, there’s nothing more satisfying than reflecting on a long, hard day of work, after sweating and slogging through mud as she works with cattle. It’s just one more way as a Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholar at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that she’s getting to experience all facets of her future career.
The Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program is named in memory of longtime cattle rancher Ron Krutsinger, whose wife, Carol, made a gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation in his honor in 2023.
Housed in UNL’s Department of Animal Science, the program develops future leaders in the beef industry through academic coursework, tours of Nebraska cattle operations and the opportunity to build relationships with ranchers, cattle feeders, processors and industry leaders.
FROM RAISING SHEEP TO FALLING FOR CATTLE
Ockander, a senior agriculture business management major and David City, Nebraska, native, grew up raising and showing sheep in 4-H and FFA. But it wasn’t until she started taking classes at UNL that she fell in love with the cattle industry.
As a Krutsinger Scholar, Ockander has seen all aspects of the business firsthand.
“Through our classes, we’ve been able to get hands-on experience. So, whether it’s meeting with industry professionals or producers one-on-one, the program challenges us and pushes us to do things that we wouldn’t normally do in a regular class setting,” she said.
Those experiences make the Krutsinger Scholars program unlike any other, said Kacie McCarthy, Ph.D., Krutsinger Scholars program adviser.
“The exposure to all these resources is going to be super valuable to them,” Dr. McCarthy said.
“There’s no program like it, and that’s what I love, being able to get students out, getting them connected with individuals across the industry. They really begin to foster that understanding that it really is important to build and continue to kindle those relationships as they move through. We’ve had a lot of students that have gone to work for individuals that they’ve met through this program.”
Designed as a minor area of study, the program has a focus for each class. Freshmen learn how the industry works; sophomores look at industry issues and make a four-day trip to tour Nebraska cattle operations; juniors host the Beef Summit, a one-day event where they invite speakers; and seniors study policy and attend the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual convention, sitting in on policy meetings and connecting with others in the industry.
‘MAYBE I DO BELONG HERE’
Attending the NCBA convention — or “Cattle Con” — was a highlight for Ockander.
“I never thought I would be able to go to Cattle Con, because it’s a very expensive trip. But for them to provide us with the opportunity to be able to, to trust us and for them to believe in us, I think that kind of adds a sense of, ‘Oh, maybe I do belong here,’” Ockander said.
Many of the students who attended the event in Nashville returned with connections to a job or offers for a job, she said. “Being able to go to those things and for them to prepare us to go to those things is so huge. It’s a different kind of hands-on experience, different than working with the animals but equally as important.”
Fitting in as a female in a traditionally male industry has become routine for Ockander. She said sometimes she and her female classmates feel underestimated. But their numbers prove they’ve earned a place in the field: Of the approximately 55 current Krutsinger Scholars, about 30 — or 55% — are female.
At her summer job working at a feedlot, she didn’t always get the benefit of the doubt.
“It kind of makes me chuckle more than anything,” Ockander said. “I can’t tell you how many times men have walked up to me and said, ‘Do you need help with that?’ I appreciate the offer, but I am stronger than I look.”
After she earns her bachelor’s degree this May, Ockander will continue her education. She’s been accepted to graduate school at UNL, where she’ll study ruminant nutrition. She plans to use her scientific knowledge to help producers be more profitable — a challenge that’s getting more difficult in today’s market, she said.
Ockander said she’s grateful for the legacy that Ron and Carol Krutsinger have created.
“I think everyone is proud to be in the Beef Scholars program. I just can’t begin to describe how thankful I am that I was able to be a part of it.”
