A college road trip that stopped at Nebraska U for a T-shirt and ice cream has led Elizabeth “Izzy” McGibbon to a degree, future career in the beef industry, and an entrepreneurial vision to expand the Red Angus-focused operation on her family’s ranch.
The Arizona native will be among the more than 400 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources students receiving degrees during the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s May 20 commencement in Memorial Stadium.
“I’m a full-send, all-in or all-out person, and here at Nebraska, I’ve been able to go all in,” McGibbon said. “There is simply no place better than Nebraska to learn about every facet of the beef industry and make lasting, professional connections.”
When McGibbon started her college search, Nebraska wasn’t on the map. That changed when her dad suggested they stop in Lincoln while between other colleges that made the shortlist.
“I said sure, because it would be a chance to get a free T-shirt and some ice cream,” McGibbon said. “We stayed in the Haymarket on a Friday and I fell in love with the area. Then, the next day we went on a tour and I absolutely fell in love with East Campus.
“It was so refreshing to visit a university that is focused on its people and where ag had a prominent place at the table. I left knowing that Nebraska was where I belonged.”
McGibbon’s goal as an undergraduate has been to be as involved as possible — a mission accomplished through her being a part of Sigma Alpha sorority, serving on ag-related judging teams, and through participation in the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program. Her
On campus, McGibbon has been involved with Sigma Alpha sorority, agriculture-related judging teams, and the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program. Nationally, she has served as a leader in the Junior Red Angus Association of America and the American National Cattle Women’s College Beef Advocacy Program.
In the classroom, she’s excelled, focusing on learning all she can about cattle genetics and reproduction. And, through the Engler program, she’s honed that focus into a business plan that she hopes will ultimately help expand her family’s seedstock operation, which offers Red Angus breeding cattle with specific genetic traits to commercial ranchers nationwide.
“When you grow up around anything ag-related, you grow up around entrepreneurs who have a mindset to always do better and to add more value to the operation,” McGibbon said. “That’s why I was attracted to the Engler program from the beginning. Ultimately, I want to be a part of our family ranch and add an extra income that will help us continue for generations.”
McGibbon’s long term business plan is to create a heifer and bull development program within the operation, adding value through focused breeding and genetics in the cattle her family sells. Ultimately, it’s a plan that will help reach her family’s dream of offering breeding stock with superior genetics for maternal traits, heat tolerance and carcass quality.
But — that’s something that will come down the road.
McGibbon’s next leap is to pursue a master’s degree in animal science, getting more hands-on with research and diving deeper into the field of genetics and reproduction at Texas’ Tarleton State University.
Looking back on her Nebraska experience, McGibbon will always remember the connections she’s made statewide, friendships developed in the classroom and through her involvement, the glow of Memorial Stadium during night games, and the chance to visit some of her family’s cattle after a purchase by a Nebraska rancher.
“Receiving that Big Ten degree is going to be so incredible — and to do so in Memorial Stadium, where we ran onto the field as freshmen, is going to be a surreal, full-circle moment,” McGibbon said. “I came here to get out of my comfort zone and I’m glad I took that leap.
“My Nebraska experience has been incredible. This school has provided me with my best friends, greatest memories, a quality education and a tremendous future.”
