Meg Miller has spent almost half a decade working with animals and in agriculture. Her experience and acumen in agricultural management, homesteading, and teaching in a classroom setting has contributed toward her college studies in Agricultural Sciences. Meg is completing her degree with a concentration in Agribusiness Management and Animal Science as she minors in both Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Meg has applied her skills to work as a veterinary tech and as a teaching assistant for Biology of Animal Production at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Her greatest love, personally and professionally, is fishing and has informed much of her career trajectory.
Where did your love for agricultural management begin?
The short answer? Fishing. I have been fishing since I was old enough to hold my own pole. As a child, I spent much of my time at our family’s lake house, enjoying the serenity of the space and taking every chance I could to fish off the dock.
Looking back on the last five years of your career and education, what are the biggest highlights?
In the past few years, I have taken on many other types of fishing, expanding my skill set and my interest level. Instead of the typical sport, like bass fishing, I have learned about ice fishing, bow fishing, and fly fishing, and my affinity for fishing continues to grow. Moreover, my love for learning about fishing has taken me across the country. I went on an ice fishing excursion in Wisconsin and traveled to Georgia to study fly fishing. I’m working on planning a bow fishing trip and hope to travel to Texas for an alligator gar.
How do you think your background has impacted the success of your endeavors?
I owe so much of my love for fishing and the outdoors, and agriculture to my dad’s encouragement. He was the first one to put a fishing pole in my hands, and he encouraged me to study and explore what I love. As I’ve grown and gained different experiences, I love teaching him new things and sharing what I’m learning along the way. Near the place I was raised, there are some amazing honey holes where I get better fishing
experiences. Honestly, I’ve been blessed with support and experiences that I take with me wherever I go.
What are the top two or three lessons you learned from your experiences?
Fishing has taught me about patience. It sure takes a lot of patience to sit, wait, and remain alert until the fish come. You’re there, sitting, and the bite is slow. You’re about to give up, but you keep going, and you watch, until you get that bite. Every bite is worth it. Every bite is an opportunity to see something new. You just might catch the biggest fish you’ve ever caught. Fishing is about hope, it’s about trying again and again; trying new things until you find what works in every unique situation.
When have you faced failure in your career? What lesson did you learn?
I have lost many big fish in my time. There is nothing worse than the wait, the excitement, and the frustration, sometimes devastation, that comes when that fish breaks line. Every lost fish is an opportunity to assess and learn. Often, losing a fish comes back to the drag being set too tight on the real. Through my failures, I’ve learned that you’ve got to let fish be able to run or you might rip the hook right out and lose the first. Every time I go fishing, I feel like I learn something new about the skill itself or the place I am fishing. It is a never-ending adventure, and maybe a small lesson that applies in big ways to the rest of life as well.
To date, what is one of your greatest achievements and how did it make you feel?
There is nothing more exciting than catching a big fish – and I mean a big fish. Bow fishing is my absolute favorite type of sport, above fly fishing and ice fishing and the nostalgia of bass fishing. I have shot two 45-inch gar, both one-shot stops. I didn’t miss or need anybody to help me out, and that independent victory was exhilarating. It taught me so much about preparation and focus and the importance of celebrating your accomplishments. Gar fights really hard, and it is exciting to reel them in.
Key Takeaways
Fishing is more than a hobby – it’s a way to develop skills and a great activity for people of every age to be involved in.
There are utilitarian components to fishing that can’t be discounted. Fish feed us and provide a vital resource for us and for ecosystems.
Fishing can be a social activity or something you do for solitude and personal development.
The sport can afford travel throughout the world and exposure to new wildlife experiences.
About Meg Miller
With more than 4 years of working experience in agriculture and with animals, Meg Miller is well-versed in what it takes to manage farms, homesteads, and entire classrooms of eager students who are interested in learning even more about working in agriculture and with animals themselves. Miller is currently working towards her degree in Science in General Agriculture with a concentration on both Animal Science and Agribusiness Management. She is also seeking a minor in both Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship.
