CAFNR celebrated National First-Generation College Student Week this month! Get to know some of our first-generation students:

Q&A with Emma Schudel

Q&A with Harleigh Lewis

Q&A with Makenna Shifflett

Q&A with Lidia Myers

The 2023 Agribusiness Career Connection Program, supported by the Dickenson Fund, took place Saturday, Nov. 18, through Tuesday, Nov. 21.

CAFNR students traveled by bus to Minnesota for this industry tour and professional networking program.

As part of the program, participants took part in ‘Funday Sunday’ and visited the Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States.

During the program, students visited KWS Group, CHS, Inc., and Hormel Foods and learned about the various career paths, internship opportunities, and full-time employment opportunities available to them. In addition, students had the opportunity to interface with industry professionals and expand their professional network of industry contacts as part of these employer site visits.

CAFNR Student Council members participated in a grocery-packing event at the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri on Nov.15, in partnership with Convoy of Hope from Springfield, Mo. Students bagged shelf-stable grocery items to provide local families in need with ingredients for a nutritious and delicious meal. Together, they packed 4,165 bags of food. Sixty four CAFNR students attended and the most represented student organizations were Alpha Gamma Sigma and Ag Ed Society.

“Service learning is important in CAFNR,” said Bryan Garton, senior associate dean. “We appreciate Convoy of Hope for providing the food items and the Food Bank for sharing their space with us. This great activity would not have been possible without the leadership and persistence of our CAFNR student council president, Lauryn Robnett, bringing all the elements together.”

Other student and faculty honors this month included:

• Congratulations to Grant Norfleet, senior agricultural education major, on being named the National FFA Secretary at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov. 1-4.
• George Frees, senior biochemistry and plant science major, received the National FFA American Star in Agriscience Award at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov. 1-4.
• Lara Stefani, sophomore biochemistry major and Interdisciplinary Plant Group undergraduate student, won Best Undergraduate Student Poster at the Metabolomics Association of North America Annual Conference, held Oct. 23-27.
• MU Agronomy Club members attended the Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences (SASES) Annual Meeting in St. Louis, where they competed in a variety of activities and competitions. The club won third place in the student poster competition, with a poster that highlighted the club’s community service project of growing pink pumpkins to raise money for breast cancer awareness.
• Congratulations to Dr. John Tummons, professor of agricultural education, on being named the 2023 Missouri Agriculture Education Leader at the Missouri Agriculture Awards.