Quarantine time or not, the livestock and other animals at UC Davis need to be fed and tended to every day. Thanks to dedicated staff and students like Jackson Sawyer, they will be.

Sawyer is a senior in animal science and management. He lives and works at the UC Davis sheep barn, part of a program that gives students a place to live rent-free in exchange for managing the animals.

His day begins early, feeding more than 150 hungry sheep and lambs. He’ll be feeding them once more before the sun sets, but in the meantime Sawyer will fill his day keeping an eye on the flock — tending to birthing, weaning, weighing and sorting.

Finding a moment of peace in times such as these may be harder than usual, but for Sawyer it comes naturally. The Lodi native grew up around livestock, still has a herd of prize-winning goats back home and relishes life at the sheep barn.

“Raising animals is very therapeutic for me,” he said.

His interest in the top-rated animal science programs at UC Davis is why he became an Aggie. He will soon be graduating but hopes that his days on campus aren’t behind him. He’d like to come back to UC Davis in a year to earn a teaching credential and a master's degree.

Giving back by taking care of livestock is essential to Sawyer, and his work to keep the sheep barn running is essential to campus, especially during times like these.