Student Spotlight: Zach Fallert

After he finished his undergraduate agricultural education degree in December, Zac Fallert has not slowed down in the new year.

The Tulare native is now looking for a job in the mechanical engineering field after he gained a host of hands-on experience through his mechanized agriculture classes and as an agricultral operations student assistant on the campus farm.

He has also been active on campus as a president of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity chapter and Ag Mechanics Club, and as the chairperson of the farm power contests for the campus FFA Field Day event.

Learn more about him in this recent interview.

 

Q: Why were you drawn to Fresno State and your degree?

Fallert: "Fresno State is one of the top universities in California for hands-on learning in agriculture, and I was drawn to ag education by my previous instructors who helped me shape a path for my future. It's also a nice location since it's only 45 minutes away from my hometown of Tulare where I was born and raised." 

 

Q: Did any other family members attend Fresno State?

Fallert: "My mother (Margee Fallert) graduated with a bachelor's degree in agricultural business. My sister (Sarah Fallert) graduated from Fresno State with a gender studies bachelor's degree."

Q: What classes and faculty at Fresno State had the most impact on you?

Fallert: "My agriculture mechanics classes helped me realize what I wanted to pursue in the future and taught me helpful skills that I will use in my career throughout my lifetime. The faculty in that area, John Williams and Chris McKenna, were so helpful and had so much useful knowledge. They taught me all the important skills and pushed me to always try my hardest while pushing me out of my comfort zone. I also really enjoyed using the design software that we used for the custom fabrication class and other courses." 

 

Q: What was your ag background before you started at Fresno State?

Fallert: "My dad is a second-generation row crop farmer who raises wheat, alfafa, corn and such. I was involved with that, but my journey really took off my in high school when I joined FFA and was on the ag mechanics team for three years. Among my projects, I built a trailer that my dad still uses for moving equipment and other things, as well as a border maker for a field (an A frame with 2 angled discs) and a Santa Maria barbecue." 

 

Q: Have you had any internships, and what experience did you get from those?

Faller: "I had an internship with Setton Farms in Terra Bella where I worked with the maintenance and engineering department. I worked alongside draftsmen and engineers, helping to design future projects. I did a lot of industrial design there working with 3D model design software like AutoCAD, and then we sent the projects out to a builder." 

 

Q: Talk about your role working on the campus farm?

Fallert: "At the ag operations farm machinery center, I have worked as a student assistant where I handle general equipment maintenance, assist the mechanics in day to day operations, and work alongside other faculty members in order to fix equipment. This helped shape my future career by giving me more experience in the mechanical field in ways that I had never experienced."

Fallert: "A lot of the work was on tractors and some preventative matienenace on forklifts and trucks, too. I particularly enjoyed working on the tractor hydraulics as well as the vehicle electronic components, because basic understanding of those areas carries over to other equipment and applications. Being able to work 40 hours a week during the summers and 20 hours during the semesters the past four years gave me a lot of valuable experience."

Q: How will this training benefit your career?

Fallert: "After I graduate I would like to continue working in a lot of areas that I did at my internship that relate to designing projects and equipment. I also have plans to apply for a master's degree in mechanical engineering. I also maybe plan to use my degree and future degrees to maybe help shape future farm equipment, and I am  keeping my eyes open to other areas related to the field, too."