During college, Mary Buschette took part in a National FFA work abroad program in Germany. That whetted her interest in international travel and she spent nearly two years backpacking around the world. She drove to California with a friend and flew to Hawaii before spending “six weeks in New Zealand, two months in Australia, a month in Thailand, a week in Hong Kong, six weeks by rail through China on the Trans-Siberian (Railway) across Russia and the rest of the time in Europe.” Buschette encourages others to travel, saying it just enriches everyone’s lives. After this experience, Buschette returned to the University of Minnesota “and I never left.” She is the director of alumni and constituent relations at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources. Buschette is a knack for bringing people together. “I love making connections and then sharing those connections.” Watch the interview.
