Name: Kyle Lafrenz

Hometown: Durant, IA

Major and Graduation Date: Agricultural Systems Technology; Minor: Agronomy; May 2019

Favorite ISU Class: TSM 433 – Precision Ag. This class was a lot of fun for me as I was a part-time student worker for John Deere at the time.  I was making How-To videos for their precision ag equipment (in-cab displays, GPS receivers, AutoTrac™ technology, etc.).  I carried so much value from this class into my day-to-day duties.

Job Title & Company: Aftermarket Services Rep for John Deere Company

Major Job/Position Responsibilities: I work with numerous product lines to create maintenance and service packages for dealerships to sell with a machine.  Additionally, I collaborate with dealers to author comprehensive machine inspections that can be used by service technicians across North America.

What I like most about my job: Being on the Customer and Product Support side of John Deere allows me to stay connected to dealers, customers, and machinery. My background in agriculture and farming is important to me because I can use my own experiences to engage with and understand customers and dealers.  Also, I enjoy traveling across the country to learn different farming practices and equipment used for various crop types.

What advice would you give to current students pursuing a career in Agriculture and Life Sciences?  Try to get a summer internship away from your home area, even if you plan to return home to farm after graduation.  I had three summer internships throughout college; the first one was two miles from home, the next two were six and two hours away. Although the knowledge acquired in each of those internships was very valuable, I had more personal growth when I worked further from home.  Being able to step outside of your comfort zone is such a beneficial part to growing your career.  Summer internships will help you learn different parts of the industry that you may not have been exposed to before.  Summer internships are three months that allow you to get a direction or focus after graduation.  If it turns out to not be something you’re interested in, you learn the direction you don’t want to go as well!