Student says: "Don't let finances stand in the way of your education."

08/02/99 BOZEMAN -- For a person who says he is "not a real school buff," Hugh Braaten comes across as recommending college pretty highly.

He's also working while a student, but instead of terming work a burden, he says it helps him keep his sanity.

Braaten, a Kalispell native, is a junior in agricultural education at Montana State University-Bozeman.

"My philosophy is that it's probably the best money I'll ever spend," says Braaten. "It's a pretty good chunk of change, but I don't think they ask too much for what we get out of it."

Braaten spoke as he shoveled grain spillage at the Nutrition Center west of the main campus. Measuring, grinding, checking the grind to make sure it is appropriate for cattle feed, Braaten was always in motion.

"I've always kind of helped out doing grunt work at the feed mill this last semester. When I got done with the animal nutrition class, everything I learned applied here. I've learned a lot about making feeds, how different feeds act, what additives in feeds do. . . I learn best with this kind of stuff, not by memorizing out of a book."

Braaten has an unusual position right now. The feed mill is usually a full-time job, but the person who had the job quit, and Braaten was in the right spot at the right time. So he's also learning a lot in addition to feed milling.

"There's a wide variety of jobs. Even the business end. Keeping the bills straight. I go buy my supplies, and then I make feed mixes and bill out to the researchers."

Braaten's parents, Duane and Janette Braaten, own Farm-to-Market Pork in Kalispell. But a lot of his college is being paid for by a cattle herd he started as an FFA project.

"My parents are still helping with the cows in Kalispell. That's has been one of the big ways they've helped me out, but my sister is a student here too, and I want to do it (school) on my own as much as possible."

Braaten says he has had a job somewhere in the Experiment Station system all three years of school.

"I did a lot of cleaning pens, maintenance work, fixing vehicles, welding, repairing facilities. I'm learning a lot of new things here at the mill. I've worked on things at home, but it's good to get a different perspective on how things run."

Braaten says he intends to teach high school agriculture when he finishes at MSU.

"I really enjoyed ag in high school. I had some really good teachers who helped me, who made a difference in my life. I hope I can do the same thing for somebody else's life."

The one thing he would like to see the university do is more hands-on education.

"The artificial insemination class is taught out here on the farm, but there aren't many that are taught with animals. I think they may be trying to do that more, and they need to."

He says he expects to graduate with "some debt," but nothing "too severe."

"My personal opinion is don't let finances stand in the way of a college education. There are loans. Even if you come out with a bunch of loans, you're probably money ahead. But there are all kinds of ways. I believe anybody can go to the school of their choice. There are scholarships too. It's a short period of time in your life that will affect the rest of your life. You don't want to live regretting that you could have had a better job if you had just gone to school."

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High resolution photos suitable for printing available upon request.

Send questions or comments to Carol Flaherty, MSU Communications Services, Bozeman, MT 59717 or to Flaherty with this link: carolf@montana.edu.

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