Cathy Parke – CAFRE Alumni

My name is Cathy Parke and I live in Magherafelt. I have spent the last 5 years studying at CAFRE, Loughry Campus and am delighted to have recently been awarded a First class Honours degree in Food Technology, validated by Ulster University. My main goal throughout my studies was to achieve a First class Honours and I am delighted that my commitment to study has paid off. I was proud to hear that I was the top Food Technology student for the class of 2022. I was also presented an award for encouraging student engagement throughout my time at Loughry, it was such an honour to be awarded both of these.

During my Time at Loughry I have been lucky enough to have been awarded a number of bursaries. In first year, I was the winner of the Dale Farm bursary and was awarded £1000 plus the opportunity of a summer placement. In second year, I secured the Westrock MPS Belfast bursary and again I was awarded £1000. This year I was awarded the Danske Bursary award for my final year research project proposal. I have been so fortunate to win all of these awards as not only have they supported me financially but have allowed me to network and make great links with the food industry. I know that a number of my classmates have also benefited from industry sponsored bursaries which gives us great confidence that the food industry values our qualifications.

During the Food & Drink Industry Careers Fair held at Loughry Campus in March, I got chatting to Andrew from Foods Connected, where he discussed upcoming graduate opportunities they had available. I knew immediately working at Foods Connected was right for me and I am delighted to have secured one of their graduate roles. It was also a huge relief to have secured a job prior to my final exams and certainly helped relieve some of the stress.

The practical nature of Loughry’s courses certainly helps graduates like me ‘hit the ground running’. As a result, Loughry graduates are highly sought after by the food industry and many of us in final year had secured jobs before graduation. Studying at Loughry has not only developed my technical and business skills but those all important interpersonal and communication skills have also improved. The food industry has lots to offer graduates with the right qualifications and experience and I am really looking forward to a rewarding and exciting career.