BY SHELBY WESTINGHOUSE/CHADRON STATE COLLEGE
CHADRON – The Rangeland Management program at Chadron State College has a wide variety of students with diverse backgrounds, gathering from around the world to learn about the environment. Kai Isa, Gavin Molinar, and Patty Timmons all come from various places, yet they have united as classmates proving that CSC is a place of collaboration and community.
Rangeland Management’s program is designed for a wide assortment of interests, offering emphasis options in ecology, livestock management, wildlife management, fire management, equine management, agriculture science and agribusiness.
Isa, an international student from Nagaoka, Japan, came to CSC after attending community college in Kansas. Now a junior, her passion for nature and dream of working on a grassland farm with animals attracted her to the program.
Isa said she chose to attend CSC because of the access to nature and affordable tuition.
“I’ve been loving this college a lot, because of the beautiful hills and warm community. For me, having a lot of nature close to me has helped me mentally, giving me a peaceful vibe,” she said.
For Isa, the Rangeland Management professors have been the key to making professional connections.
“They are always providing information for internships related to rangeland and opportunities to get practical experience on actual fields,” she said.
Molinar of Johnstown, Colorado, graduated from high school in 2021 and went directly into the workforce as a construction worker and farmhand. Working 60 to 70 physically demanding hours a week became tiring for him, so he decided to follow his dream of becoming a firefighter.
Once joining the program, Molinar said that Chadron quickly became his home.
“Chadron being such a tight knit community is something that is very important to me,” he said. “I have developed a family of sorts, I have great connections with all my professors, as well as my peers. The town of Chadron has opened its arms to me and welcomed me in from day one.”
According to Molinar, the array of classes offered in the program helped him narrow his academic focus. While he originally joined with an interest in firefighting, the program allowed him to explore more specific topics, such as grassland wildfires.
Timmons, unlike the other two students, grew up immersed in the Midwestern ranching industry. From an early age, Timmons worked on her family’s ranch in White Owl, South Dakota, and secured her fascination in sustainable agriculture during her high school Future Farmers of America program.
“I immediately became interested in the topic and felt it was something I wanted to pursue as a career,” said Timmons, a freshman. “I hope to work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a Rangeland Management Specialist in the future.”
Timmons felt an attraction to CSC because of the proximity to the Black Hills and unique opportunities such as the Rangeland Club. With the club, she travels to local and international Society for Range Management conferences, broadening her expertise.