McKenna Sick, a sophomore majoring in animal science and working to obtain her swine certificate at South Dakota State University, received the Outstanding Swine Education and Research Facility Student Employee Award at the 2023 SDSU Animal Science Banquet.
"I like working at the swine unit because I get to learn about all aspects of raising pigs for market on a larger scale than I was used to," said Sick, of Carson, Iowa. "I get to learn how to care for the animals and utilize different technologies in the barn that make our job easier."
Sick's passion for the swine industry comes from her involvement in showing swine on the county, state and national levels. "I have been showing pigs since I was 9 and now have my sow herd at home where I raise and sell the offspring," Sick said.
Dick Nicolai, a Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering professor, established the Outstanding Swine Education and Research Facility Student Employee Award. Before pursuing his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in his 50s, Nicolai and his wife, Jeune, spent most of their lives farming near Hector, Minnesota. Pork production was a mainstay of their operation.