Antonia McCusker – CAFRE Alumni

My name is Antonia McCusker and I graduated from CAFRE, Loughry Campus in June 2019 with a degree in Food Technology.  

During my secondary school studies, I was not fully aware of the courses offered by CAFRE and the option of going to Loughry was not yet discussed. However, as I had a strong passion for food and baking in particular, I carried out some research and found more information on CAFRE and its courses. The approach taken by the courses delivered at Loughry, with a strong focus on building Food Technology experience via a balanced mix of theoretical and practical work was really appealing to me and so I decided to apply for a two-year foundation degree course in Food Nutrition after my A Levels. 

As the overall experience at Loughry exceeded my expectations, I decided to strengthen my knowledge and apply for a degree in Food Technology. Because I had previously and successfully completed a relevant Foundation Degree course, I was able to continue on a built-in learning path by starting directly on the second year of the degree course. I felt that not only was Loughry a great environment to study in but it was also very close to home; this was an ideal location for me and many other students like me who could benefit from a high quality course without having to incur on high expenses for accommodation or travelling to Universities in Belfast.  

The part of the Loughry courses that I have enjoyed the most has certainly been the many practical classes which gave me the chance to learn about the Food Industry with a full hands-on approach; these classes were like being inside a mini factory which prepared me for going out to the real food processing world with confidence.  

Since completing my studies at Loughry I have had no issues finding employment within the food industry and I have most recently started working for Dale Farm in Belfast. In Dale Farm I am part of the commercial team and I am in charge of all own label artwork. I particularly like this role, which differs from some of the previous roles I have undertaken; it combines creativity with the knowledge of food technology and is great way to get an insight into different departments within the food industry.  

Loughry is a fantastic place to study and I will continue to recommend it to the younger generation as the facilities are brilliant, lecturers are down to earth and helpful and I’ve made many friends throughout my time there.