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Wilma Hines
Wilma Hines, agricultural marketing specialist for the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Kansas City Commodity Office in Missouri, is a professional MANRRS members currently working with FSA.
Ms. Hines began her involvement with MANRRS during her freshman year at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Along with many other things, MANRRS helped Ms. Hines strengthen her interpersonal, speaking, and leadership skills. In her sophomore year, she put those skills to use when she was elected Vice-President for the Eastern Shore Chapter. After serving a year as Chapter Vice-President, she served as Chapter President the following year. She also served as the Chapter’s webmaster during her last three years at UMES.
Ms. Hines is currently serving as the lead agricultural specialist in the Storage Contract Branch, which handles the Sugar Storage Agreement contracts in the Bulk Commodities Division. What she likes most about working for FSA is that the Agency provides food for domestic and international programs. She takes pride in being part of such an agency that touches the lives of millions around the world. “Agriculture is a very important part of our every day lives whether we realize it or not,” said Ms. Hines. “It affects everyone, no matter who you are or where you live; and the effects are not always good. The poorest of the poor are minorities, not just here in the U.S, but across the globe. We should get more involved in agriculture and ag-related fields to be in a position to make policy changes that will have positive impacts in our lives, and in the lives of our children, Ms. Hines said.
Ms. Hines encourages minority students studying agriculture and related fields to join MANRRS and get involved with its activities. “My involvement with MANRRS was very rewarding,” said Ms. Hines. “Being a MANRRS member on paper is simply NOT enough. Students should take an active role in their local school Chapter and participate in the national conference contests, career fairs, as well as in the seminars. Participating in such activities could very well to steer them into very promising careers.”
“As a MANRRS member, I learned from and networked with other students, professors, and successful professionals in my field. MANRRS taught me how to work with others to achieve my goals, which is one of many essential lessons that I apply in my professional career on a daily basis.”
Ms. Hines received a 4-year, full, academic scholarship from the USDA/1890 National Scholarship Program, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business with a minor in computer science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She recently earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural, environmental, and development economics from The Ohio State University.
Chad Elliott
Chad Elliott was heavily involved in the creation of the undergraduate chapter of MANRRS at South Carolina State University. Being a MANRRS member to him was important as he was very interested in agriculture and knew he wanted to pursue a career around it. He decided to attend the MANRRS National Conference in 2001 to find an internship with a large agribusiness company. At that conference, he was recruited by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) to be a commodity trading intern at their offices in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Being an intern at ADM was wonderful,” Chad said. “I was exposed to the ‘real world.’ They gave me many responsibilities, which made me feel a part of the team. After that internship, I knew I wanted to begin my career with ADM.”
After his internship was over, he headed back to SCSU to finish his senior year of college. Chad got back in touch with ADM in November about a possible full-time position, and a few months after that, he was hired. Being in the commodity trading trainee program at ADM gave him 3 months of hands-on experience in many of the field offices.
“I was in a different location every 2 weeks. It was the perfect time to see what went on day-to-day at many operations throughout the Midwest,” Chad went on to say. “It really exposed me to every facet of ADM trading.”
After starting his commodity trading career with the Grain Group in Hennepin, Illinois in August ’02, he gained valuable knowledge and experience with ADM. Another opportunity opened up a year later in Fresno, California to be a Western Regional Sales Representative for the Packaged Oils division.
“I was thrilled to have the opportunity after only a year to move up in my career. Experience with another division could only help me further my knowledge of ADM.”
At the age of 24, Chad received yet another opportunity to move in the Company. This time it was in the Human Resource department as the Commodity Trader and Elevator Management Recruiter. In this position, Chad gets the chance to meet with college students who want to be commodity traders, and tell him his first-hand experience with ADM.
“Even though my wife wasn’t thrilled to move from California to Illinois in the winter time, she knew the importance of this move to my career. Being a recruiter, the college students can relate to me and my career path at ADM. I think it gives them an insight in to all of the opportunities that can be available to you at ADM,” Chad stated.
Chad went on to say that the opportunities and challenges ADM has provided thus far, along with the opportunities and challenges that he is seeking in the future, make him want to continue his career at ADM
Natalie Knight
Could Natalie Knight be the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture? According to Natalie, the sky is the limit for her career goals – for now, she is a Policy Analyst in Biotechnology Affairs for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., in Johnston, Iowa, where she manages, monitors and researches policy developments and issues dealing with biotechnology with industry and trade associations that may affect Pioneer or its parent company, DuPont.
Natalie is a 2001 Tuskegee University graduate with a bachelor of science degree in Plant and Soil Science. Her involvement in MANRRS at Tuskegee provided education about the many opportunities available in agriculture and gave her three valuable internship opportunities – and an eventual job offer - at Pioneer.
“Agriculture is a broad field with a lot of opportunities,” said Natalie. “Students should take advantage of their local MANRRS chapter and the annual MANRRS conference to network and meet representatives from the public and businesses in private sectors.”
As a professional, Natalie has chosen to continue her involvement in MANRRS by helping with conference planning in 2004 through Pioneer and also by participating as a speaker at a Region V training session for Executive Officers in 2002. She has also chosen to further her education and will graduate from Iowa State University with a Masters in Public Policy and Administration in August 2005.
“I feel fortunate to work for a company that is supportive of increasing diversity and actively involved in MANRRS,” said Natalie. “DuPont’s presence is vital to increasing diversity within the agricultural industry and our company.
“I know that there are many talented, intelligent, and diverse agricultural students and professionals out there. MANRRS ensures that companies like Pioneer get well-trained students – truly the best of the best.”
“The Journey: Searching For a Dream”
“Once upon a time in a far away land…” It seems as though every good story starts this way. Hearing those words jump-starts your mind for that exciting journey.
You begin to imagine yourself as that beautiful princess lying fast asleep or that handsome prince ready to kiss her hand. You can hear the crash as Humpty Dumpty falls. Or you can actually see the sugar-plums dancing in their heads.
Stories like these sparked our imaginations. As we got older, we realized how different the real world was from our fairy tales. How clicking your heels don’t send you home at all. We witnessed the repercussions of bad judgments and the power of success.
We realized that although we are different; we are still all the same. We experience different situations, chase different dreams, and desire to live better lives. Everyday life lessons encourage us to strive, to never stop, to keep going until the end. This is our journey. This is our story.
Kevin Jackson, Ph.D., University of Illinois-Chicago, BS ‘95, MS ‘99, Ph. D. ‘03
Transitions have always been apart of my life. In grade school, I got average grades, B’s and C’s and an occasional D-in, of all courses, science. Most of my classes in grade school were with friends that I had grown up with; so classes were fun. Grades weren’t as significant. When I reached high school, things clearly changed. I tested well enough to be placed in honors classes and was no longer around my friends. I was in a class full of people that I didn’t know and I also was the only black person in the class. At this time, I felt like I had to work harder. Not because of the class work load, but because I was in a class of people that I thought looked at me and expected the worse of me. I later learned this was my own fear and not something implied by my classmates. It wasn’t until my sophomore year when I realized how important my education was. This is when I realized that you can receive scholarships to attend big time universities. Not on an academic scholarship, but an athletic one. I had friends that were older that had chances to attend schools like Michigan, Wyoming and Illinois but they lost out because they didn’t have great grades or the classes didn’t qualify under the NCAA standards. So they ended up going to a junior college or not going to college at all. I didn’t want to end up like that, so I pushed myself harder to get the best grades I could while still trying to excel on the football field. It was a hard balance because I usually didn’t get home until late and I still had homework to do, but that dedication worked. I ended up with an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. The work ethic that I used in high school was put to the test my first year in college. I was a science major and an athlete, which for anyone are both hard tasks to balance. Plus, I had two major surgeries within the first week of school, a torn cartilage and a week later I had an emergency appendectomy. My grades suffered that first year from a combination of the course load and just adjusting to being in college. Through all of that, I survived and the next couple of years I excelled not only in the classroom but as well as on the football field. I graduated with an Animals Science degree. The experience that I had from taking a rigorous science course load and playing college athletics really prepared me for the next phases of my life as well as career. I knew that I could handle hard course work and really manage my time efficiently.
I wanted to go to graduate school to further my knowledge as a scientist, so I chose the Reproductive Physiology Program at the University of Illinois. During my first year, I was introduced to the MANRRS chapter and what they had to offer. I actually went to the first meeting that they had for graduate students, because they had free pizza, and I was a struggling graduate student. Listening to someone for an hour for free food was not going to be a problem. But what I took from that meeting, besides a full stomach, is that this organization had a lot to offer, specifically for me because I didn’t see many other people of my minority background in my field of study. What I got from MANRRS was more than what I ever imagined. Besides the opportunity of networking with other graduate students at the national and regional meetings, I was also able to give oral and poster presentations, in which I won money. With these experiences, I am able to present to my peers more comfortably now from that experience. I also made a lot of contacts with fellow students who will be future collaborators as well as meeting students in which I can hope to influence as I have been in the field of science.
As I look back on my life from where I started, a young kid from the ghetto, raised by a widowed mom who didn’t have a high school education, but managed to make sure all her kids graduated high school. To a man that used his God given talents to obtain a Ph.D., but more than that, to influence others so that they can also excel. I would advise all individuals to take advantage of every situation, when opportunity knocks, open the door.
Rochonda Smith, Golden Peanut Company, LLC, BS ‘97
As a child, pretending was more than just a word. I would take my father’s books, red pin, and chalk and play school for hours. As the teacher, I would explain to my class their definitions (made up, of course). After a while, I became curious of their true meanings, so I asked. After my father explained math to me, I learned that there was a world beyond adding and subtracting. “X” was more than a letter in the alphabet. If you ever needed your house painted, I could tell you how fast you needed to paint to finish in a few hours. Let’s not forget my favorite of all: “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Intrigued, this was only the beginning.
Middle school started to break me out of my shell. I adjusted to meeting new friends, participated in my first pep rally, and competed in my first math contest. We constantly were told that things would be different in high school because there would be no more playing if you want to go to college. We would have to learn to be serious and focus.
High school was like another world. Life’s goal became making good grades and looking good on paper. We were encouraged to build our resumes. Extra curricular activities started to become more like a job than fun. We were strategically placed on a path with blinders on and set off for that finish line. I was fortunate to have a high school counselor that cared about my future. Mrs. Lenora A. Williams introduced me to summer programs, scholarships, and other opportunities. She taught us that although we grew up in East Saint Louis, Illinois, there was a bigger and better world waiting for us. To prepare for the journey, we needed to be ready, like packing a bag for a trip. You need your daily essentials: Math-to count your money, English-to present yourself well, and History-to remind you of what others sacrificed for what we have today.
Thanks to Mrs. Williams’ determination, I was introduced to MANRRS. She encouraged me to apply to the University of Illinois’ Research Apprentice Program (RAP) offered by the College of Agriculture. Like others, my first thought was “I don’t want to be a farmer.” And my second thought was “what do I know about agriculture?” She explained that we see agriculture daily. Agriculture is more than farm animals, it is also the food we eat and clothes we wear. So, I filled out the application and was off to a summer of new things.
Although this was my second summer program at the University of Illinois, I was hooked. I knew that this was the university for me. Talking to students, learning of their experiencing, I could only think “I just can’t wait!”
Growing up, my parents made me feel like college was just another level that you had to complete. There wasn’t just kindergarten through 12th grade. School didn’t end until you had some type of degree. I wasn’t told there was a choice. “You have to go to college,” a phrase that I have heard more times than can be counted. Fortunately, I listened to my parents.
I thought high school was a different world, until I started college. I realized that things are much different than summer programs. There wasn’t always a mandatory schedule. I didn’t always have adult supervision. At first it seemed like I was finally free, until I started realizing I was on my own. I was in charge of not only my grades, but money, laundry, cooking and cleaning. I was in for a rude awakening.
If I could do it all again, I would have focused more on my classes and made the most of the time I had learning new things. I am proud to say I graduate with a BS in Consumer and Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois. No matter how things turn out, no one can take away my accomplishment.
It’s funny what life’s path takes you. If I had followed my first love, I would have been a math teacher like my dad. I was blind to the path that was there and decided on my own journey. I guess working with computers is not far off.
Ebony Gibbs, MANRRS Executive Office, BS ‘03
Everyone’s life journey begins at some remote location. My journey began in a small rural town in Mississippi. At an early age, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life, but knew I had bigger and better aspirations than the ones I were surrounded by. In rural Mississippi, there are many cotton fields, rice fields and catfish ponds, so I knew agriculture was definitely not the field for me.
At both elementary and middle school, I was an A student. In middle school, I became involved in basketball. Becoming involved in sports was a great opportunity for me to do more productive things with my time. Through dedication and hard work, I excelled at both academics and sports. Everyone told me that high school would be much different.
Entering high school was a big change. I attended high school in another town and had to adapt to new peers and teachers. I couldn’t rely on my reputation of excellence to get me by, so I had to re-establish myself. Growing up in Mississippi, there weren’t many opportunities for summer programs or internships. With this reality check, I knew that I was already behind other kids who had come from bigger cities with better resources. This was more motivation for me to push myself harder. I continued to excel in academics and sports. I graduated high school Salutatorian and received a full academic scholarship to Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
I thought to myself, “Life has finally started!” This was my first time living away from home. I was very excited to gain my independence but also afraid of failing. During registration, the first question I was asked was “What will you be majoring in?” My first thought was Pre-Med, but that required too much schooling so I answered, “Computer Science.” I was first introduced to MANRRS my sophomore year by Carl Butler. Although I was an independent member of MANRRS, I never had an active affiliation with the organization. During my last semester in college, I became pregnant with my son. Not only did this turn my world upside down, but school was no longer my main priority. When the real world was about to kick in, bigger obstacles were being placed in front of me. Graduation was right around the corner and I had no plans or possible job opportunities. I began to think I would have to move back to Mississippi, the place that I had worked so hard to leave behind that only offered underpaid salaries and little to no job opportunities. I was very disheartened, but I did not lose hope. I graduated Cum Laude and at the top of the Computer Science and Mathematics department.
Shortly after moving back to Mississippi to give birth to my son, Carl Butler contacted me about a possible job opportunity as his assistant at the MANRRS Executive Office in Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, being a new, single, and unemployed mother, I gladly accepted. That job opportunity is the reason I am writing my story for you today. Although I was not affiliated with MANRRS through the traditional way of Agriculture or Natural Resources, this organization has greatly impacted my life. MANRRS has helped me begin the second journey of my life. MANRRS has helped me to grow professionally, as well as build lifelong connections with friends I’ve met while being employed by the organization. Through MANRRS, I have been exposed to a group of people that believe in helping young people and providing avenues to allow them to be successful. My life’s journey has taught me that faith, hard work and endurance will warrant success. It has also taught me that “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” So, I choose to give back to an organization that has given so much to me, another “success” story in my life’s journey.
Lebecca A. Gills, PepsiCo, BS ’95, MS ‘98
Transitions are a part of everyone’s life. As I reflect on my life, I never imagined that I would be working for a fortune 500 company. I always knew that I would go to college, in my family it wasn’t up for debate. I thought witnessing my parents divorce was the most challenging thing that could happen in my life, until it was time to enter college.
As I thought about college, many uncertainties came to mind: How will I perform against so many intelligent people? How will I survive being far from home? Will I make new friends? Will I keep my high school friends? Most importantly, what would I major in? What do I want a career in?
Well, many of these fears were put to rest when I attended a summer program (Research Apprentice Program) the summer before my freshman year at the University of Illinois. It was through this program that I became aware of the many opportunities within the College of Agriculture. I, like most, thought agriculture was only about farming. I had no idea of the vast opportunities agriculture had to offer or that minorities even considered them as opportunities. It was also through this program that I became aware of MANRRS and MANRRS, therefore, was one of the first organizations I joined upon entering my first year of college.
MANRRS gave me a forum to develop and enhance my leadership skills and network with people that have mentored me throughout my career. It was through this organization that I made new friends, people that were experiencing the same things as I; being the “only” minority in a class, not being invited to study groups, etc. MANRRS also gave me an opportunity to work in the community and made me feel as though I was making a difference in the area where I lived. It was because of my strong belief in MANRRS and the confidence the organization gave me that I was determined to start the same organization at the university I attended for graduate school, when the same uncertainties came to mind upon entering my Masters Degree program.
No matter what you want out of life or the types of experiences you face, there is one thing that comes to mind. Although there are different approaches that can be taken, the end result seems to be the same. That one thing is success. There are those that spend their whole life searching for a dream to be successful. Some achieve this goal and some are still striving. Either way, we are all experiencing the journey and are dreaming of things to come. Are you still searching?
Caption “You have to go to college!” A phrase that we have heard more times than can be counted.
Ericka Luna, BS Agricultural Biology 2005, MA Agricultural Business and Economics 2006, Region VI Graduate Vice-President, New Mexico State University
My journey began on April 6, 1982. Unbeknown to my parents I was born with thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome. This means that missing the radius bone in both of my arms, they are very short and I do not have a wrist. As a child I traveled to different hospitals for the seemingly never-ending round of surgeries and check ups. Since my earliest memories I knew I was different. People were always staring at me, asking what was wrong with me, asking if I was contagious, or trying to do everything for me. I never understood why people did things like this or why it was me that had to be different. At a very young age I began to search for answers. I was always independent, determined to not be helpless, and do things on my own. Since I was unable do some things like everyone else, I always found my own way to do things
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When I was not in the hospital I was at home with my family in the small town of Los Lunas New Mexico. I attended Los Lunas High School where I was the manager for volleyball, football and wrestling, and where I played soccer, basketball, and golf. I will never forget my sophomore year when I went to the golf coach and told him that I would like to play. He was very nice when he told me that I was more then welcome to practice with the team and learn to play, however I probable would not make the team (I’m sure he was wondering how someone who was missing almost half of their arm could possibly play golf). I got extremely mad and decided that I would be the number one player on the team and show that coach how wrong he was. After the first three weeks I made the number four spot, and within two months I made the number one spot where I remained until I graduated. This challenge helped me prove to my self that I could do anything I wanted to do. For me the sky was the limit, and I wanted more then what my hometown had to offer.
In 2000 I found myself at New Mexico State University. I had no idea what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be, or what I should major in. After a year and a half of bouncing around from major to major I decided I had better pick one if I ever wanted to graduate. Thus I have a degree in agricultural biology. Last year when I graduated I realized I still had no idea what I wanted to do, and that I had no desire to be a research scientist. I decided that grad school would provide me with a little more time to decide what I wanted to do. Now they tell me I am ready to graduate once again, this time with a Master's in Agricultural Economics and Business. I still don’t know exactly what I want to do, but now I am a bit wiser and I have been reflecting on my college experiences to help me make a decision.
College provided me with many opportunities, introduced me to other people who are “different”, and where I found MANRRS. As a college sophomore I helped to found the New Mexico State MANRRS Chapter. Through MANRRS I have been involved in fundraising, community service, chapter meetings, organizing events, competing in contests and traveling to conferences. I have been able to meet people from all over the world, network, learned to create a resume and been offered jobs. Most importantly I have learned that diversity is the spice of life. Everyone is different, and while not everyone’s differences are expressed as a physical disability, everyone has them. We all have to figure out what we want to do; we all have to juggle school, work, MANRRS, money, family, social and lots of other parts of our lives. One of the best parts of MANRRS is that while we are all going through the same types of things, none of us have to go through it alone since we have this amazing support system!
So this is a brief glimpse of my story. Different, and yet not so different from everyone else. I think the trick may be to take one day at a time and live each day the best that we can, but just like everyone else I am still trying to figure it out. I have decided it is ok that I am still searching for my dream; after all, it’s all part of my journey.
If you want to submit your sucess story to MANRRS, send your article to the Executive Office.
MANRRS prohibits discrimination in delivery of services and information on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.
(C) 2007 Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.
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