Six college students who are pursuing careers in agriculture are getting a little help from the Syngenta Accelerating a Generation Scholarship program.
Adam D’Angelo, bachelor’s student at Rutgers University, and Rodger Farr, master’s student at the University of Arkansas, are the national winners of the Syngenta Accelerating a Generation Scholarship program. Both students were awarded $6,000 to help pay college educational expenses.
Six regional winners, including D’Angelo and Farr, received a $1,000 scholarship award to support their education. In total, Syngenta awarded $18,000 in scholarships.
Judges selected this year’s winners out of a diverse pool of applicants who shared how their roots influenced the way they view the future of the ag industry.
“We received a lot of strong applications this year,” said Pam Caraway, communications lead at Syngenta. “This year’s applicants have a lot to say about where the industry might be going — and how they will help take it there. The future of our agricultural industry is in good hands.”
In his winning video essay, D’Angelo, who’s double majoring in plant biology and agriculture and food systems, emphasized the importance of supporting sustainable, profitable production. “The future of agriculture is not simply about growing more food,” he said. “It’s about growing food in a safe and sustainable way, while preserving the economic viability of the farmer.”
Farr, who grew up on a corn, soybean, and wheat farm in western Nebraska, struck a similar note. “I see agriculture moving in a direction that is not only more environmentally conscious and efficient, but also more integrated with an intertwined, sustainable system,” he said. “That system will give us the ability to adapt to changing economies and a changing climate,” he said. Through his studies in weed science, Farr hopes to contribute to that movement.
The other regional winners include:
- Kristen Dunning, Dallas, Georgia, an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia
- Madigan Jean Hawkins, Olympia, Washington, an undergraduate student at the University of Idaho
- Leah Mosher, Liscomb, Iowa, an undergraduate student at Iowa State University
- Chelsea Newbold, Corvallis Oregon, a graduate student at Oregon State University
For additional information about the winners and scholarship program, click here.
