From educating metropolitan primary school students about where our food comes from, to becoming an ambassador for regional communities; these are just a couple of the big dreams that UNE graduates Sophie Wood and Jed McEvoy have as advocates for rural Australia.
It's these ambitions that have seen them both recognised as finalists for the coveted NSW RAS Rural Achiever Award, alongside fellow UNE alum Keiley Noble.
Before the winner is announced in Sydney at the 2023 Royal Easter Show, we caught up with Sophie and Jed to find out more about their love of the regions.
Sophie Wood – Bachelor of Business (2018)
Why are you passionate about rural and regional Australia?
My love for regional and rural Australia developed around my upbringing and the experiences that I was fortunate enough to have growing up.
I grew up on a property on the outskirts of Armidale, where my family operate a mixed enterprise of merino sheep and Angus cattle. Growing up, I would help out on the farm, whether it was at shearing time, calf marking or with some of the day-to-day jobs.
I was also lucky enough to be involved in a range of co-curricular activities, the main ones being Little Athletics, Hockey and Pony Club. My parents were involved with respective committees at different stages, and looking back, it subconsciously instilled in me that so many of these opportunities were only possible with the dedication of volunteers who gave their time generously.
What were the highlights of your time studying a Bachelor of Business at UNE?
I started at UNE in 2015 as a bright-eyed fresher living at Robb College. As I progressed through my degree, and it was time to decide on my majors, I couldn’t go past Agribusiness and Marketing. I knew that I was always going to have a connection to the Agricultural industry, and my interest in marketing and how you can communicate with a particular audience greatly influenced my decision.
While at Robb, I met a whole network of likeminded people and the one thing that we all had in common was our love for the Ag industry and regional and rural Australia. Being surrounded by people who are passionate about all different aspects of the ag industry opens doors and engages the mind each time a conversation is started.
Image: Sophie (second from the right) at her graduation in 2018.
What have you been doing since leaving UNE in 2018?
While at Robb College, I was fortunate to hold the Marketing Officer position on their Junior Common Room in my third year. This along with some other leadership positions throughout my college experience gave me the confidence to step up and take on roles that I would not previously have been comfortable to take on. This includes entering the Armidale and New England Showgirl competition in 2017, which has ultimately paved the way to where I am today.
I currently work at C7EVEN in Tamworth, NSW, as an Account Manager. I joined the team in 2021 to manage several of our core Agribusiness clients. This role is was what I’d been working towards while studying, as it combines my love of agriculture with the marketing industry. No two days are the same at C7EVEN, the variation in work keeps the role interesting and there are always new challenges that need facing.
Image: Sophie at the Showgirl competition in 2018.
Tell me about your hopes to establish an education initiative for metropolitan primary school children?
It was an idea I had when finishing at UNE. I was toying with the idea of enrolling in a Master of Education as I could see a gap in the market for Agricultural educational resources. My ultimate dream is to establish an initiative endorsed by the State Education Department, where an agricultural mascot visits metropolitan Primary Schools, communicating about agriculture and ‘where food and fibre come from’. These visits would be supported by curriculum aligned activity sheets for primary aged children to reiterate the learning from the mascots’ visit.
If I’m fortunate enough to win the 2023 RAS R.M. Williams Rural Achiever award, I would use the opportunity to further my network and connect with likeminded people. These connections will be invaluable as I look to the future and how I contribute to the Ag industry.
Jed McEvoy – Bachelor of Agriculture (2020)
Where does your love of agriculture stem from? 
I grew up in Coonabarabran in Central Western NSW with my family who owns and operates an earthmoving and truck company. My parents spent years working on farms and in the local national parks and forests, and I would often help out where I could. I always loved getting around on the farms, and I think this is where so much of my passion for agriculture comes from.
After completing my schooling in Coonabarabran, I headed off the UNE to study a Bachelor of Agriculture and live at St. Alberts College. This led me to secure a graduate position at Pursehouse Rural back in Coonabarabran, and I have loved working there ever since.
What do you love about living in a rural area?
Rural Australia is a great place to live and work; I have always lived in Coonabarabran and I don’t plan on leaving. I love the people and the community that is in the smaller towns. Everyone knows everyone and whenever something happens everyone gets around to help – a great example is the local footy and sporting clubs.
Why do you think it is important to advocate for small, regional communities, and how will being a Rural Achiever finalist help you to do this?
A big thing about smaller communities like Coonabarabran is trying to get people to stay in the town, or come back like I did once they finish their studies. To do this I believe we need to work together to create thriving communities that people want to live in. An issue that many rural areas face is very limited access to medical resources, so we need to make sure people to want to come to our towns and help to grow our resources. This has been hard after years of droughts and COVID-19 lockdowns, but I feel it is slowly but surely coming back.
I am going down to Sydney with an attitude to have fun, meet people and learn. I’m trying not to think about winning, but if I do, it will be a massive bonus. Being named the NSW Rural Achiever will help me to improve, and I will bring whatever I can back to my local town and show society to help them with whatever I can and implement the things that I have learned.
Either way, I will ride the train and see where the Rural Achiever Award takes me and try and will try to enjoy it as much as I can.
Image: Jed with one of the trucks from his family's business in Coonabarabran.
How did UNE support your passion for rural Australia?
UNE has people from everywhere across Australia, and some of the people I know that were from metropolitan or coastal areas have now returned to the country because they enjoyed the rural experience that UNE provided.
It is great to see a university like UNE in regional NSW, as the capacity and opportunities it has is a real asset. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in rural Australia as it has such a strong agricultural department.
What’s next for you?
In the past year, my family and I have purchased a farm which I live at with my partner, so that keeps me busy on my days off. Career goals of mine are to grow into a better agronomist, learn as much as I can, and explore new technologies and resources that will help my clients and I as much as I can. As well as this, I hope to work my farm and make it bigger and better (and hopefully there won’t be too many droughts and floods).
The winner of the RAS Rural Achiever Award will be announced in Sydney at the Royal Easter Show. Read this story to find out how else UNE will be involved at this year's show.
