Katie Dubarry

Mum-of-two Katie Dubarry, started her career as a beauty therapist and worked in France. She became disillusioned with the job when she moved back to the UK and decided to return to learning with SRUC, studying Agriculture and graduating with a first class honours degree.

“I wanted to learn about how we can live more sustainably, how we produce the things we do and how we consume things,” said Katie. “All of these thought processes combined into an interest in farming and the ways people work the land, but I didn’t know the first thing about it.”

Five years after starting her National Certificate in Agriculture, Katie has been awarded a BSc degree and – after taking a year out to represent SRUC as Vice President of the Student Association – she is now interested in continuing to PhD level.

“After the first year I was hooked,” she said. “As I have worked through, I have discovered all about other aspects I had no idea were part of agriculture.

“I thought it would be lovely if I could have a bit of land with some sheep and spin yarn from them. Then I discovered new ways of thinking about how we can influence what is happening in the world on quite major levels.”

In addition to her degree, Katie also collected a variety of prizes, including the prestigious Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland Silver Medal for the best student in her course; the James Anthony Moore Prize for outstanding work in the Topical Issues Module at the Edinburgh campus; and the SRUC Trust Prize for best fourth-year student.