Back to all newsFor Albemarle, NC native Chandler Keck, animal agriculture was never in the plan. The son of a body shop owner and banker, Keck had his sites set on NC State University’s Animal Science program in hopes to become a small animal veterinarian.
But, as so often happens in college, Chandler’s interests evolved, as did his major. Chandler explored the Poultry Science department and the opportunities the program presented, and began to consider a new major and career path.
Fast-forward a couple of years, and Chandler is a rising junior, on track to graduate with a double major (Animal Science and Poultry Science) and double minor (Feed Milling and Agricultural Business Management). He has twice been awarded the Marvin and Grace Johnson Poultry Science Scholarship at NC State, and this summer he’s interning with House of Raeford in Rose Hill.
During his internship, Chandler is gaining experience in every area of the poultry production business, from breeding and broilers to feed milling and grain buying. This deep dive into the industry will help him narrow down his areas of interest and identify a more specific career path. It has also given him the opportunity to meet many members of the House of Raeford team, experiencing the strong family-oriented culture firsthand.
“They’ve been nothing but as nice as they can be,” Keck said. “They’ve been committed to helping me learn and figure out what I want to do [after graduation]. They really do treat their employees like family. And you can’t ask for any more than that.”
And speaking of family, when Keck added the Feed Milling minor, his father reminded him that Chandler’s great-grandfather ran a feed mill.
So, even though animal agriculture wasn’t in the plan, it was in his blood.
For more information about the Marvin and Grace Johnson Poultry Science Scholarship and House of Raeford’s other educational investments, click here.