AN unsuccessful attempt to steer her career away from the agricultural industry worked out for the best for Ravensthorpe's Cassidy Chambers.
Despite beginning her degree studying geology at The University of WA (UWA), it wasn't long before Cassidy realised agricultural science was a much better fit.
"Mum and Dad always thought I should just do agricultural science, and then I called them up on the last day of first year when I'd changed degrees and they said "we told you so," she said.
"I think it was always going to happen, it just took me a little while to give in to my parents."
Cassidy's love for agriculture began while growing up on a 10,000 hectare mixed cropping and sheep farm near Ravensthorpe with parents Andy and Jenny and her four siblings.
Jenny was heavily involved in the Ravensthorpe Agricultural Initiative Network (RAIN), so Cassidy had plenty of exposure to many sides of agriculture from an early age.
"I always used to go to field days and events with Mum when I was little, and then obviously growing up on the farm was great too," she said.
Cassidy moved more than 500 kilometres from her home in 2009 to start high school at Perth College, where she boarded for five years.
She graduated from high school in 2013, and commenced her studies at UWA the following year.
After switching to agriculture science and environmental science after her first year of university, Cassidy was awarded the inaugural Rob Ashman Memorial Scholarship.
She was selected for her commitment to an agriculture career, leadership potential and academic records.
The scholarship gave her financial assistance for university supplies and the opportunity to participate in work experience with the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA).
At just 20 years, Cassidy completed her university studies, and is working as a trainee agronomist at Primaries/CRT in Midland.
She said her involvement in work experience programs and her networking skills had helped get her foot in the door to the agriculture industry.
"I've worked here for seven months, just three days a week on the counter doing sales and they've just offered me a trainee agronomist position," she said.
"It's really just sticking your head in places and trying to get some work experience and contacting as many people as possible.
"It kind of seems like you're being annoying, but it does pay off."
She said support from other women within the industry had been invaluable.
"Mum has obviously been great, and there are quite a few good female professors at UWA who are really encouraging,'' she said.
"It can be hard because often when clients walk in here they look for one of the boys and sometimes they're surprised when they realise I know quite a bit and have a degree."
Cassidy said she's looking forward to the challenge of beginning her career in agronomy in 2017.
"There's a lot to learn, I think people expect agronomists to know so much,'' she said.
"I just want to learn a lot this year, you learn a lot about scientific background at uni but you learn so much more about application on the job.
"I like being out in the field a lot and the whole crop diagnosis side of things.
"I love how much everything changes throughout the year, it's really interesting and you also get to meet lots of new and interesting people every day."
With three of her five siblings on the home farm in Ravensthorpe, Cassidy said she's happy to stay in Perth for the foreseeable future.
"I'm kind of taking a different path, I'm still in agriculture but not farming," she said.
"I'm happy to stay in Perth for now. Very few of my friends have finished uni so scoring an agronomist job based in Perth is awesome."
