#ShapedbyCSU: Agri alumna on excellence rooted in quality education

Getting admitted to Caraga State University means not just opening doors for opportunities but also an oath to something excellent in the future. As one transitions to the real world, Angel Galo, an alumna from the College of Agriculture and Agri-Industries and now a Farm Manager of a growing poultry farm in Batangas, can testify to such.

Completing her undergraduate degree in Agriculture majoring in Animal Science in 2022, Galo took her scholastic endeavor with utmost devotion—she finished with a Latin Honor. In the same year, she passed the Licensure Examination for Agriculturists, proudly carrying this as she flew in Parañaque for greener pastures a year after.

Her transition to a larger platform has proven that CSU’s output performs exceptionally well in any part of the country. Take a deeper glance behind the shells of her journey. 

Greatness sprouting

Hailing from Bislig City, Galo’s aspirations before entering college were not the path she currently pursued. “I did not get the course I dreamt of. I badly want to take medicine, but my family could not provide the financial support it requires,” she stated. What motivated her to take agriculture was a relative who is now working in New Zealand. 

Despite the redirection, she saw a silver lining in it. “I learned to love my program. It is one of a kind; it not only uses your mind but also utilizes your physical aspect. Agriculture is indeed challenging; I love it because of my present job, every month is an obstacle to go through,” she said. 

Of the three universities she hoped to enroll in, CSU was her top priority because of the reputation and impact it holds beyond the region. 

Her time as a student was more of a bidirectional school-to-house route, as an introverted person. However, this did not hinder her from exploring things beyond academics. She was also fond of participating in the annual intramural event as a table tennis player. 

Moreover, in response to what makes CSU exceptional, she emphasized the significance of their instructors in shaping the learners’ growth. Apart from being meticulous in delivering quality education, she noted how they put primacy on their well-being by being considerate when needed. 

Walking down the aisle of her university life, Galo’s venture may not be distinguishable from others, yet the chapters succeeding it buff up her narrative. 

Flourishing passion and success

With a dream to chase opportunities, she set sail outside her hometown right after the board exams. Before landing the farm manager job, she served as a laboratory analyst in a factory of a food company in Laguna. There, though earning decently, her heart was not at its happiest.

So, she looked for a wider horizon and luckily, the 25-year-old agriculturist got recruited at a tunnel-ventilated poultry farm named Isidro Farm in Rosario, Batangas, as a Farm Supervisor first. This farm, as she specified, only grows chicks that have been supplied to them by the integrators. The workers under her leadership have to regularly feed the chickens and provide them in cases when resources run out. 

“Early in the morning, I have to set the temperature [within the building] because it has to be in the right setting. The growth of the chicks depends on the parameters being monitored. Our building has air openings. When the air gets balanced, the temperature is good. When we miss just once, it becomes dangerous because it will cause illness or stunting." She described her routine crossing back and forth between three buildings with controlled climate inside and 140 meters apart.

Now that she has been promoted as the Farm Manager, things have turned out to be more challenging for her. She mentioned, “We are about to expand the building. The three buildings that I am currently handling house 37 thousand chicks. Next, with the new ones, it will also fall under my management.” 

Starting off testing the waters, her primary time in this role underwent trials. “I was still groping with the responsibilities. Some of the chicks would not survive, amounting to one hundred chicks per day. So far, as I managed to get the hang of it, no problems seemed to be manageable.” 

Apart from these, Galo started with doubts. One of the greatest challenges for her was dealing with different people with various attitudes. In such a male-dominated field, she experienced reservations in terms of obedience because she is a newbie and a woman. However, she countered this, expressing, “Act as an example to them to gain their respect. Of course, show them how well you can handle the place. If they can see your actions, they will follow, not merely command.” 

Her tenure and position in the recent workplace she supervises attest to the greatness Golden Paddlers have beyond books and four-walled classrooms. When asked about what makes CSU graduates different, she replied, “Being competitive in all aspects, especially in real-life challenges. Being a student is different when you are already working. You can not apply everything you read in textbooks in daily life.”

 

Glows of tomorrow

Having relatively stable living conditions, Galo is open to exploring her field beyond geographical borders. For now, however, as the family's breadwinner and eldest daughter, she will continue working until she can invest in a business. When it comes to postgraduate studies, her dream of pursuing medicine has never faded. These days, she hopes to enter a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program—if fate allows.

“When others say there’s no money in agriculture, that’s not true. Now, I am buying my lot,” she exclaimed as she also shared how she can treat her parents for travels and getaways. 

Encouraging upcoming Golden Paddlers to pursue her field, she noted, “Agriculture is the backbone of the economy. Everyone can not always be in the office – someone has to be on the farm. Without agriculture students, the sustainability of the future will put our staple food at risk.”

It is more than just planting and caring for farm animals—Galo’s realization after finishing her degree and setting foot in the real world. For her, agriculture molded her to experience a lot of things, and it is a loss for somebody without knowledge of it in times of food scarcity. 

As the admission for the next academic year continues, this agriculturist discussed that “When you get it and graduate from CSU, there’s a huge opportunity waiting for you out there in the real world. To those who get admitted, take pride in your slot because others dreamed of having that and were not given a chance.”

Indeed, becoming one in the Caraga State University community is a promise that encompasses present and future opportunities. Transcending distances equates no scare to Angel Galo, for she can proudly bring with her the true spirit of Competence, Service, and Uprightness wherever life takes her. As a true Golden Paddler, she has sailed across the region and beyond.

Story by Jofred James L. Gerasmio