DOWAGIAC — One Dowagiac student has been recognized by the Michigan Department of Education for breaking traditions in her chosen career field.

Shaelyn Bundy, 18, of Dowagiac, was recently named one of 91 student winners of the 2019 Breaking Traditions Awards from across the state of Michigan. The award is reserved for students who overcame obstacles and stereotypes to succeed in a career and technical education program, complete a CTE program nontraditional to their gender and contribute to awareness of nontraditional careers through such competition.

Bundy, a student at Dowagiac Union High School and Van Buren Tech, was awarded in the area of agriculture and natural resources.

“I’m breaking traditions because I am a female going into agriculture, which is primarily males,” Bundy said. “Right there, I am breaking a tradition, because if someone were to think of farming, they would think of a man.”

Bundy was nominated for the award by Robbyn Candelaria, guidance counselor at Van Buren Tech. In her nomination, Candelaria said Bundy is recognized at the tech center for outstanding academic achievement, being a senior member of the National Technical Honor Society and for seeking out community service opportunities.

“When Shae faces challenges being a female in the world of agriculture, she embraces them full-on,” Candelaria wrote in her nomination of Bundy. “Shaelyn Bundy is a student who gives me confidence that the world will be OK when her generation takes the reigns. She is ‘smart’ beyond most people, I think largely due to her embrace of the natural world and creation.”

Bundy said the nomination and being recognized by the state honored her.

“I’m really happy just to have been nominated,” she said.

The 2018 Cass County Fair Queen, Bundy grew up watching her older brothers participate in 4-H. Being involved in 4-H since she was young is what has drawn her toward animals and agriculture.

“I’ve always loved the fair and 4-H,” Bundy said.

The biggest obstacle she has faced so far being a woman in agriculture is the disadvantage she is at when working with large animals, she said.

Though she is planning on entering a male-dominated field, Bundy is determined to succeed and not let her gender decide her career.

“Whether you are a male or a female, don’t be afraid to go into a field you are interested in just because it is gender specific,” she said. “If there is a male that wants to go into culinary, go do it. If there is a female that wants to work on cars, go do it. Don’t be afraid to do something just because it is gender specific. That’s the message I am trying to get out there.”