This October, CAFNR alum Holly Enowski was a featured speaker at the World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony at the Iowa State Capital. Enowski spoke about her experience as a former Borlaug-Ruan International Intern in Kenya and Uganda, and her continued participation in efforts to fight hunger both locally and internationally. While her connection to the World Food Prize foundation began in high school, her interest and involvement in the world of food security was fostered in CAFNR as well.
Enowski is a native of Eldon, Mo., and grew up on a third-generation family farm. Between her active participation in her local FFA chapter and the influence of her Aunt Mary, a passionate Mizzou alum, CAFNR was an easy choice. Once on campus, she discovered the close-knit CAFNR culture and a group of faculty willing to help her adapt her college experience to fit all of her interests.
“I would be remiss to not mention Sharon Wood-Turley, my academic advisor and sounding board,” said Enowski. “She would always be like ‘Sure, Holly!’ on any idea or class suggestion I had and really gave me creative liberty to do the thing, do it my way, and to pursue out-of-the-classroom and work experiences that paralleled the classroom.”
As an undergraduate, Enowski studied abroad twice in Costa Rica and once in Italy, went to Washington, D.C., with an agricultural policy class, worked for Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), Economics and Management Agrobiotechnology Center (EMAC)/The Food Equation Institute, and the Deaton Institute for University Leadership in International Development. She also was named Outstanding CAFNR Student of the Year and was a part of Mizzou ’39.
After graduating from Mizzou with a B.S. in Science and Agricultural Journalism in 2020, Enowski went on to pursue a master’s in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. Today, she works as the Events and Administrative Associate at the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders, co-coordinator of the Missouri Youth Institute, and has reconnected with CAFNR to run the International Agricultural Internship Program facilitated through CAFNR International Programs.
“What led me to where I am today was the variety of experiences, I had within CAFNR,” said Enowski. “In a single day, you could find me running a meeting, writing an economic analysis report, talking about the Farm Bill in policy class, interviewing a potential source for a CAFNR Corner Post, and attending a speaker session in the evening. The breadth and depth of the work I was able to do as an undergraduate prepared me to now dabble in lots of different areas and subjects in an effective and competent manner, to juggle competing priorities well, to know how to solve problems, and to have a multi-faceted skillset that others do not.”