Women of Achievement: Diane Murray

I have been told college is a time in your life where you get to explore the world. There are so many opportunities at your fingertips that seem to fade completely after graduation. In my experience, college is a time of finding yourself while you become the person you are going to be for the rest of your life. By taking advantage of opportunities as they land in your lap, you will get to do things you may have never dreamed about doing.

Cattle in French countryside

This is so true. Everyone have their own goals to obtain as they make the best of their college experience. One such student, Diane Murray, of Jerseyville, Illinois has become quite the accomplished student as she takes opportunities as they come. A junior, double majoring in accounting and agricultural business, Murray has been able to travel the world experiencing agriculture practices in both France and China. She is actively involved in several clubs in the agriculture department at Illinois State University as well as completing a credit analyst internship at ProPartners Financial.

Murray was able to experience what life is like outside of the United States as she studied abroad in France this past summer as well as touring China. She was able to learn how the famous French wine is made and bottled as well as submersing herself in the French culture. She said a typical Sunday afternoon activity is a 50 mile bike ride down a road that is shut off from traffic so bikers can enjoy their ride. In each town the road goes through, concession stands will be set up for the bicyclers. Murray noticed the agriculture practices vary greatly in France from the practices of the United States.

“American agriculture definitely strives on being economical where French agriculture is more eco-nomical. They want to focus more on the betterment of the environment and not necessarily how they produce it, or who they produce it for. In America we’re all about the economy in that we want to produce the most for our dollar,” Murray said.

In China, Murray was able to take in the sites on a two week educational tour of the country. She said China is a lot more crowded than the United States.

As she looks into the future, Murray plans on seeing where the road takes her. She would like to ultimately end up working for an agriculture firm in the accounting aspect, or to continue on to law school to become an agriculture lawyer.

To hear an interview with Diane Murray, click here http://www.box.net/shared/xq967y2b4k05vvdyxujh