Cappai described how the FFAR Fellows Program opened doors by giving him a clear idea of what would happen after graduate school. It also made him aware of the diverse career options available outside of a traditional career trajectory. “Having a clear idea of what happens after grad school, preparing for the future and feeling supported makes the entire experience more manageable,” said Cappai.
We also spoke with Dani Gelardi, who is currently the Soil Health Scientist for the Washington State Department of Agriculture and a FFAR Fellows Program alumna. As a UC Davis graduate and Ph.D. student, Gelardi investigated the use of organic amendments in conventional cropping systems.
“This fellowship stood out to me because I already had funding for my research as well as research and scientific support. I had a lot of what the usual fellowships were offering, but when I looked across my graduate landscape, I felt what was really missing was the professional development, the networking component, and a lot of the softer skills like scientific communications and leadership. That’s really not built into graduate school or any career,” said Gelardi. “I realized if I wanted to push the boundaries of my career beyond just laboratory science, I needed support. It felt like this [program] was tailor made to what I was looking for.”
Gelardi emphasized that the FFAR Fellows was not only beneficial to how she moved through graduate school, but also how she got a job, including how she plans to supervise and onboard in the future. She highlighted the value of professional development and networking “soft skills” that are an asset to any career path.