MANY former students of Longerenong College have gone on to achieve great things, not just in the agriculture industry.
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Distinguished alumni include Leigh Nugent, former Australian Olympic swim team head coach; David Campbell, lead guitarist for Darryl Braithwaite; Peter Fisher, Australian politician; and Ridley Bell, NSW Farmer of the Year 2010.
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke is also a former Longerenong College student.
The Murra Warra farmer said his time at the college felt like a lifetime ago.
Mr Jochinke started his education at the college in 1996.
He said his experience at the college helped shape his career.
"I missed out on a lot of the social life because I was still working on the family farm at the time, but I do remember that the college was very much a family," he said.
He said when Longy played intercollegiate sports, everyone had the same goal.
"We all seemed to be bent on beating Marcus Oldham College," he said.
Mr Jochinke will be speaking at the 130th celebrations at the weekend.
He said the region was fortunate to have an institution like Longerenong College in its backyard.
"It's something that we take for granted too often - not only the resources but what it means for the industry," he said.
"This weekend will be a great celebration of what the college can be and what it will be."
For former student Mary Raynes, her time at Longerenong College has taken her across the world.
Ms Raynes studied at the college between 1994 and 1997.
She said she loved learning about agriculture at Longy.
"I enjoyed the camaraderie and I enjoyed where it has taken me," she said.
She said highlights of her time at college included intercollegiate sports.
"Longy is all about the friends you establish for life and the platform it gives students to different aspects of the agriculture industry," she said.
"It has given me opportunities to network across the country, not just across the state, and the college exposes students to diverse range of agriculture industry such as grains, horticulture, poultry and machinery."
Ms Raynes now works for the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre.
She is the barley technical markets manager and hosts agriculture delegations overseas.
"I host technical conferences on barley in Asian countries, places like China, Vietnam and India - anywhere that Australia exports grain to," she said.
"So the skills I learn at Longy have taken me globally."
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