Q: This is an interview with Carol Belansky, who was the class of '88 Animal Science and we have a generator in the background so please…. Ok. Share with us something about your experience at Cook College . You transferred in; major highlights of it.
Carol Belansky (CB): I transferred from Camden County College and had an associate degree as an animal health technician. I worked for a veterinarian after that for five years and then I decided to get a job in industry. I worked for a consumer products company called Boyle Midway and I got a job as a lab technician there. They make household cleaning products. And I was able to further my education through them. They paid for it. So I came back and applied to Rutgers , Cook College , to finish my animal science degree. And I finally did that in 1988 going part time.
Q: How long did take you going part time?
CB: It took about four years, yes, three and a half, four years. It was about 60 or 70 more credits I had to take part time, so that's what I did. Right, so it was hard for me, because I worked at the same time, to take full advantage of Rutgers . But in the last year, I met a couple of really friendly young students and we had a horse on Ag-Field Day so we got to do some of the shows. That was really a lot of fun, and I really regret that I couldn't be here full time because I think that could have been a lot more fun. But I come back on Ag-Field Day and you know you come down to the Puddle and you see everybody and it's just a fantastic day.
Q: Which professors do you remember from being here in Ag Science?
CB: I remember my advisor and teacher in a lot of Animal Science classes. He's passed away. He was a thin man and he smoked a pipe….I can't remember his name now; it was so long ago. But I know he has since passed away. And the other English gentleman, his last name…? Oh, Colander [?]. See you can't remember either. Colin…
Q: Colin Skanes.
CB: Yeah, yeah that's right Dr. Skanes. Yeah, he was great too, a lot of fun.
Q: So you had the experience of being a part-time student.
CB: Right.
Q: How did you manage? Courses were not taught at night, so…
CB: Right, so what I had to do was take a lot of my vacation days as half days. This company was really good to me and I took my vacation days as half days and I came to class. You know that's why it was really hard to get the whole experience, but, like I said, I met a lot of young students that were really nice to me and helped me out quite a bit.
Q: And you showed a horse
CB: Oh, we did. We all did. We got up early it was a little bit rainy that morning; it was cold. You had to wash the horse, give her a bath, clean her up and brush her. I think we came in second place, actually. I still have the ribbon and I still have the pictures. So it was nice. The other thing was the graduation around the Puddle and we each got an oak tree. I still remember that day. It was really great.
Q: We still do that.
CB: Yes, beautiful. You were really lucky with the weather. It was a beautiful day when I graduated. Similar to this, yeah.
Q: Well thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Great meeting you.
CB: Thank you.