Kall ’19 Finds Her Path at Root Farm

A summer internship working with horses might not seem like the natural path for Stephanie Kall ’19, a biology and theatre double major.

After briefly volunteering at The Root Farm in 2016 for her training as an orientation trip leader, Kall fell in love with the farm and its mission. Located in Sauquoit, The Root Farm is an equine-assisted therapy center and agricultural facility which aims to provide educational, recreational, and therapeutic experiences to people of all ages and abilities.

“I didn’t really know anything about agriculture or equine therapy going in,” Kall said. “The farm is absolutely gorgeous and I was so inspired by their mission of helping people through their programs. I learned a lot from this summer, especially interacting with animals and the people I was helping. It’s made me think a lot about what I want to do after college.”

Kall is volunteering for six weeks at Root Farm, tackling all aspects of farm maintenance. She cares for the horses, assists with the riding lessons, and handles day to day agricultural work around the farm.                                                                                                          

While Kall enjoys the challenge of her many responsibilities, she found working with the horses and their riders to be most rewarding. “I loved assisting with the lessons and getting to know the people I was helping,” she said. “It was great to see them grow and improve over the weeks.”                                                                                                  

After a long day of working at the farm, Kall doesn’t spend her night like most college students — she often falls asleep at 8 p.m.

“The most challenging part about this internship is definitely the physical exertion it required. It’s exhausting to spend nine-hour days walking for the equine programs or weeding and watering for the agricultural program.”

With all her responsibilities and long hours on the job, Kall’s hard work is finally paying off. Through her work on the farm, she’s already shifted perspectives on a future career.

“Root Farm has opened my eyes to new career paths,” she said. “I came into college thinking I wanted to do research, I’ve started thinking about a possible career in conservation or wildlife conservation. I could honestly see myself being happy working at a place like Root Farm — it’s supported my interest in a career with animals and it made me realize just how much I enjoy helping people.”

Kall’s internship is supported by The Jeffrey Fund Science Internship.