ÎÞÂ붯»­

Award-winning student 'excited to see what the future holds'

Posted 24 June

Mr Truesdale’s widow, Mrs Anne Davey, Jo-Anne McCay, Harper Adams Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan and Harper Alumnus and John Thompson & Sons Ltd Ruminant Technical Manager, Richard Moore, with the John Thompson & Sons Victor Truesdale Prize at this year’s Harper Ireland dinner.

An award-winning student from ÎÞÂ붯»­ says her time at the institution has ‘shaped me into the person I am today.’

BSc (Hons) Agri-Business student Jo-Anne McCay, from Castlederg, was named both the winner of the John Thompson & Sons Victor Truesdale Prize at this year’s Harper Ireland student society dinner and an Aspire Prize winner at the University’s placement awards.

The Aspire prizes are awarded to students from across the University’s undergraduate course subject suites for their time on their one-year industry placement.

Each prize-winner is the student with the highest overall performance in personal development planning, with Jo-Anne securing hers following her time with The Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland

The John Thompson & Sons Victor Truesdale Prize is awarded in memory of Victor Truesdale, former sales director of John Thompson & Sons Ltd, who passed away in 2001.

It is given to the student from Ireland deemed to have made the greatest contribution to life at Harper Adams.

Jo-Anne said: “The past few months have been a whirlwind!

“Winning the Victor Truesdale Award was such an honour and has really encouraged me to reflect on how far I’ve come. It was also a huge highlight to win the Aspire Prize for Agribusiness, which meant a lot to me - and recognised the passion and commitment I’ve put into my studies and future career.

“It’s been a busy period, finishing my final year, submitting my dissertation, and preparing for what’s next but I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.”

For her final year dissertation project, Jo-Anne drew upon her placement experiences – with a specific focus on Northern Ireland.

She said: “I explored how consumers understand and value assurance schemes when buying beef and lamb, and what quality means to them.

“I believe it’s so important that consumers understand the hard work, care, and dedication that go into producing the food on our plates. That message needs to be communicated more widely, and this project allowed me to explore how we might bridge that gap.

 It also built naturally on the insight I gained during my placement year and has deepened my interest in transparency and trust within the red meat industry.”

Looking back at her time with the Commission – where she worked in Marketing – Jo-Anne said: “It was an eye-opening experience that deepened my understanding of the red meat sector - and ultimately inspired my dissertation topic.

“I had the opportunity to engage with farmers, consumers, and industry professionals, building valuable connections across the supply chain. It confirmed for me how dynamic and important this industry is.”

Having submitted her dissertation, Jo-Anne is now combining completing her last assessments with a full-time role at her local feed merchants LW Surphlis and Son, assisting in quality control and feed advising.

She is then hoping to travel in New Zealand to work in the country’s dairy sector after her graduation in September.

She said: “This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing. When I return home in Spring 2026, I’m hoping to secure a full-time role either in the animal feed side of agriculture or red meat sector. I’m keeping an open mind and looking forward to the next chapter with enthusiasm and curiosity.”

Looking back at her four years at Harper Adams, she added: “Studying here has been one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences.

“Moving to another country was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I haven’t regretted it for a single day.

“The people I’ve met, the knowledge I’ve gained, and the experiences I’ve had have shaped me into the person I am today.

“Saying goodbye after four years was emotional - Harper has given me so much and I have a lot to thank them for - but I’m also really excited to see what the future holds!”