Striving for success
by Becca Stephen, posted Dec. 7, 2007
Are you interested in a once-in-a-lifetime experience and spending a fun-filled week getting a closer look at the agriculture industry? If so, the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has the perfect opportunity for you.
The goal of CAFNR is to help students reach a successful future, and CAFNR offers several academic programs to help its students attain success. Among those programs are the John E. Brown and Dickinson scholars programs, which will be coming up during the second week of January.
The John E. Brown and Dickinson scholars programs are both part of the CAFNR Agribusiness Academy. The academy is for students who are interested in agribusiness or related fields and creates real-world experiences for the students.
Students who are interested in a future in agribusiness may apply for one or both of the scholars programs.
John E. Brown, a prominent businessman from St. Louis, created the John Brown Scholars Program in 1983. The program takes 16 undergraduate students to spend a week in St. Louis visiting agribusiness firms.
“I am excited to get an inside look into the industry,” said Christine Tew, a senior agricultural journalism major.
During the week, students meet business professionals and observe how to interact in a business setting. These students also attend seminars and get to see how classroom education can be applied to the agriculture industry.
“It is a great chance for students to network with professionals in the agriculture industry that have some of the same interests and passions,” said Stephanie Chipman, CAFNR Career Services director.
The Dickinson Scholars Program, which was founded by Gary Dickinson, allows CAFNR sophomores to travel to Kansas City and visit a wide range of agribusiness companies, such as General Mills and John Deere. Other stops will include tours at the Kansas City Board of Trade and the Federal Reserve Bank. In total, the students are able to take interactive tours and gain a better understanding of the agribusiness work environment.
"Participating in the 2007 Dickinson Scholars program was a great opportunity to help network within the agribusiness community,” said Jill Fleischmann on the CAFNR Web site. “It was a very beneficial program that helped prepare me for a career in agriculture."
For more information, vist the Agribusiness Academy Programs Web site.
