K State through the eyes of Charlotte
Upon her return to home soil, the 2025 Angus Foundation Kansas State University Scholarship recipient Charlotte Nugent had plenty to reflect on from her time visiting the United States.
Charlotte has put together a report from her time abroad, highlighting the key and special moments from her scholarship experience.
Read her report here:
It was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.
I remember clearly the phone call from Jake Phillips, telling me that whatever plans I had for the Spring Semester this year, I’d better cancel them and start thinking of new ways to fill my days—ways that would make the most of the experiences ahead of me in the Little Apple, the heart of Kansas.
Despite the sub-zero temperatures outside, my welcome to Manhattan, Kansas, was a warm one. Moving into my apartment the Sunday before classes started, I had little time to adjust to the freezing air before hitting the ground running, navigating my way across a sprawling and equally impressive campus.
The Kansas State Exchange Scholarship is unique in that it can be completely tailored to an individual’s interests. With the freedom of taking uncredited classes, your days can be packed with whatever sparks your curiosity. For me, that meant sitting in on a variety of classes across three different schools within the College of Agriculture. One of my favourites was Meat and Livestock Evaluation, where we learnt everything from the science and maths behind predicting fat and muscle in live animals, to following those assessments through to the chiller. There, we explored the marketability and dollar value of carcasses based on grid pricing—an eye-opening connection between theory and real-world outcomes.
In addition to this class, I was a member of the writing staff for the Spring Agriculturalist Magazine, working under Mrs Lisa Moser. This was a great opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and meet some amazing people from across the agricultural industry, both within and beyond the College.
Spring break brought exactly what its name promised—a welcome change in temperatures and some sunny days. It was also the perfect opportunity for a change of scenery, as I headed down to Ashland, Kansas. There, I was welcomed by the Gardiner family into the sweeping southwestern Kansas prairie, complete with stunning sunrises and sunsets.
I was fortunate to spend five weeks at Gardiner Angus Ranch, helping prepare for and run their Annual Spring Production Sale. On Saturday 5 April 2025, 1,150 head of cattle went under the hammer at the Henry and Nan Gardiner Marketing Centre—a day I will always cherish being part of. While with the Gardiner family, I also attended the U.S. Premium Beef Annual General Meeting and toured the National Beef Packing Plant in Dodge City.
I will be forever grateful to the Gardiner family for making me feel so welcome.
By the time I returned to the Little Apple, it was hard to believe I was already over halfway through my time abroad. With classes wrapping up in mid-May, I took the opportunity to travel north for some sightseeing. My journey took me through Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier National Parks, and on to Montana, where I visited the Sitz family of Sitz Angus Ranches, before stopping at Connealy Angus Ranch on my way back through Nebraska. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to visit with Mark McCully and his team at the American Angus Association in St Joseph, Missouri.
My final couple of weeks stateside saw me slip into full tourist mode, making the most of the top destinations in the south before finishing my time abroad in Canada with the McNeely family of Golden Oak Livestock.
I am sincerely grateful to the families and ranches that welcomed me during my time abroad, to the friends I made along the way, and to the industry connections I was able to bring home with me.
My greatest thanks go to Dr Dan Moser and his wife, Lisa, for their unwavering support in Manhattan, and for opening their hearts and home to me as I navigated life overseas.
Thank you again to Angus Australia for the opportunity and I would always encourage other young people to apply for scholarships just like this one. You never know where you will end up.
