Equine Unit Staff Spotlight: Rose Cracraft 

 

Q: Why did you choose to attend Fresno State, and how did you pick your major?

“I chose Fresno State because of the farm. I hoped that I would be able to learn hands-on skills besides its the classroom knowledge. My dad used to own his own trucking business, and I always wanted to own my own business at some point. However, I never wanted to be a normal business major. I knew I wanted to do something with agriculture so I picked Fresno State and its ag business major.” 

 

Q: Which classes and faculty members have had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno State?

“Dr. (Annette) Levi’s class had a huge impact on me when I started at Fresno. It was right after COVID, and I had just had my baby, and I was really nervous about going back to college. However, she made the experience really fun, and you could tell she honestly cared about her students. I couldn’t have graduated without the help of Dr. Sherri Freeman as well. Her guidance and advice my last semester really pushed me to be the best student and mother I could be.” 

 

Q: Talk about which campus farm units you have worked at, and skills you have learned that you can apply to your career.

“I started out as a volunteer at the Quarter Horse Unit my second semester on campus and have been there ever since. The QHU taught me valuable lessons not only about horses but with every aspect of my life. I became a better student because I was doing something that I loved. The QHU is a place to learn and share knowledge, and I loved being able to teach students what I learned previously and to learn from other students as well. You learn time management skills and people skills, compassion, and how to care for animals. All of these skills greatly benefit all our student assistants after they leave college.” 

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

“I grew up on a small farm, and we raised sheep, mostly for the fun of it. However, I always wanted horses and cows, so as soon as I could do it on my own I did. At about 21 years of age I worked for Lone Tree Ranch in Tracy, CA where I learned as much as I could about horses and the horse boarding business. Then I worked for the Bloom family up in Sonora at Kennedy Meadows Pack Station and Resort where I learned about mules and packing. This is what really drove me into the agricultural field. Once I got a taste of the mountains I knew I wanted more. Kennedy Meadows was a seasonal job that I worked at for three seasons, so during the summers I would live at Lone Tree Ranch and help the neighbors with their cattle. My other interest is cattle, and I got the opportunity for a few winters to help the Sparrowk Livestock company in Milpitas. The ranch manager (Dave Cascarini) showed me as much as he could, taking me with him even on the most boring days and explaining why he did everything he did. I learned everything I know about cows during those winter months.” 

 

Q: Are you a part of any other clubs/organizations at Fresno State?

“I was a treasurer for the Bulldog Packers. We just opened our club last year and it was an amazing learning experience. I worked closely with (fell ag business senior) Macy Myers and had a wonderful time learning how to run and start a club. Our team went to Bishop in June to compete in the Bishop Mule Days Celebration college competition. It was a wonderful time, and I made a lot of lifelong friends.” 

 

Q: Have you overcome any challenges to get where you are today that have shaped who you are?

“Yes a few, however, I’ll just mention one, I had a baby my first semester at Fresno State, and I took only online two classes the first semester , which made it a lot harder to graduate in two years, but I did it with a one and a half year old.”