Annah Latane

Syngenta; Digital AgTech Product Manager

How did you end up at Virginia Tech and in your major?

Virginia Tech was the only place I applied to (good thing I got in!). I initially planned to major in International Studies. As I neared the end of my freshman year, I realized that a liberal arts-only degree wasn't fulfilling everything I wanted from college. I had enjoyed an honors economics course that I had previously taken, and my dad (a Hokie and Farm Bureau field staff director, whose father was also a farmer and a Hokie) steered me gently to the Agricultural and Applied Economics department. Despite my misgivings that agriculture was all about corn prices and seed varieties, I ended up focusing on sustainability in my International Studies and Agricultural and Applied Economics degrees. This has provided a nice way to round out my ability to think through issues from multiple perspectives.

Class year(s) and degree(s)

Favorite Virginia Tech memory

Snow days in Blacksburg always felt extra special. I may have been responsible for "borrowing" a few Owens trays for sledding.

Why should a prospective student consider agricultural and applied economics?

A degree in applied economics is a gateway to critical thinking and problem-solving. Whether you focus on the agricultural industry or take the concepts of economics and apply them to other issues, this degree exposes students to the ideas of balancing trade-offs and using data for decisions that can affect thorny, global issues. This will serve students well in whatever workplace or career vocation they choose.

Fun fact about yourself.

One of my most rewarding early career experiences was working with Haitian farmers, supplying sorghum for the Heineken-owned brewery, and providing them with new digital tools. I couldn't have guessed my AgEcon degree would land me a gig like that!