A Ticket to An Ag Career is Possible With WIA Student Scholarship
By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media (March 25, 2025)
More than 400 young women have benefitted from the Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Student Scholarship Program since its inception in 2013. Thanks to the generous sponsors of the program, that equates to more than $100,000 a year to fund the future of ag, and $1.365 million since the program’s debut!
Being selected for a WIA student scholarship provides, among other benefits, complimentary registration and accommodations for the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit. Students also enjoy mentorship opportunities with their sponsor company and numerous networking options – from an exclusive student-only breakfast to a professional development student workshop to the chance to mingle and meet professionals from some high-profile ag companies. It’s quite a learning experience (and making connections experience) that very often leads to a career in ag.
Take these students for example:
REAGAN RUSSELL, Now With Women in Agribusiness
From our very own Women in Agribusiness team, we introduce Reagan Russell, who attended the 2022 WIA Summit in Dallas, Texas, as a student from Texas A&M University, who was sponsored by Manulife Investment Management. By the next year, she was hired by WIA to serve on the operations team. She has since moved on to help with a multitude of programs at WIA, including managing the Student Scholarship Program and organizing and securing content for WIA events. Russell had this to say about the scholarship program:
1). Tell us about how you came to know about the WIA Student Scholarship program and why you applied?
Russell: I learned about the WIA Student Scholarship Program through a co-worker at my on-campus job at Texas A&M University. She had experience with the program and encouraged me to apply. At the time, I was uncertain about my post-grad plans, and I saw the Summit as a valuable opportunity to explore career paths within agribusiness and hopefully make connections to lead to my first job.
2). How was your experience at the WIA Summit in 2022 in Dallas? What was the biggest takeaway?
Russell: Attending the Women in Agribusiness Summit was my first exposure to high level industry sessions that offered valuable insights into agribusiness, and I left with a wealth of knowledge I wouldn’t have gained otherwise. The Summit played a key role in helping me navigate my career path, while also introducing me to career opportunities in the industry that I hadn’t previously considered. The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of staying open to new opportunities and continuously learning. As a student, it was one of my first experiences at such a large professional event, so I naturally spent a lot of time observing the other attendees and how the event unfolded. The Summit showcased a community of eager women at all stages of their careers, actively working on their own growth and professional development, which was both inspiring and a great example to follow.
3). WIA Today: Where are you working now and how did your participation as a student scholar at the WIA Summit help foster this opportunity?
Russell: I am currently the production coordinator with Women in Agribusiness. The networking and relationships I built at the Summit played a key role in opening doors and ultimately leading me back to WIA in a professional capacity. I wouldn’t have been aware of this opportunity or had the chance to pursue it without the connections I made at the Summit.
LYDIA JOHNSON, Now with Agri-Pulse Communications
Lydia Johnson was a 2023 WIA student scholar, sponsored by Emerging Ag, a boutique international consulting firm providing communications and public affairs services to clients in the agriculture, food and health sectors. She joined the Summit in Nashville that year as a senior from Iowa State University studying agricultural communications and journalism, following a dream career in agriculture policy broadcasting and communications. In preparation of this, her time at ISU was spent participating in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council, National Agri-Marketing Association, and Agriculture Future of America organization. She also had the experience of growing up on her family’s farm in Bondurant, Iowa.
Johnson is now an associate editor for Agri-Pulse Communications, a trusted source in Washington, D.C., with the largest editorial team focused on food and farm policy coverage.
WIA Today caught up with Johnson in between her D.C. events and roving reporter interviews to ask her about the WIA scholarship program:
1). WIA Today: Tell us about how you came to know about the WIA Student Scholarship program and why you applied?
Lydia: I first saw the WIA Summit Student Scholarship application posted on LinkedIn. After looking into the opportunity, I learned that another student from Iowa State attended and had great things to say about her experience, so I applied, too.
2). WIA Today: How was your experience at the WIA Summit in 2023 in Nashville? What was the biggest takeaway?
Lydia: Attending the 2023 Summit allowed me to meet many students and professionals from a variety of backgrounds while learning about top agricultural issues. C-suite leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, economists and policymakers, among many other careers, spoke during sessions to provide interesting perspectives on relevant topics including biofuels, ag innovations, carbon markets, trade and media relations, to name a few.
Beyond the content, it was easy to make fast friends with other students who were studying everything from agronomy to food science and agribusiness to policy at universities across the U.S. and even in the United Kingdom. The professionals created a welcoming environment to join their tables for sessions and for students to attend meals with their teams. Above all, the few days created a culture for women to support each other through all stages of career and life during the short time together at the conference and to bring the same mentality back to our universities and companies. I still enjoy keeping in touch with women I met at the conference.
3). WIA Today: Where are you working now and how did your participation as a student scholar at the WIA Summit help foster this opportunity?
Lydia: I’m currently an associate editor at Agri-Pulse Communications, an agriculture and rural policy news service based in Washington, D.C. The 2023 Summit was held in Nashville, the location of the RFD-TV headquarters. I mentioned my interest in pursuing a career in news to the Women in Agribusiness team and they helped me coordinate a tour of the RFD-TV studio, plus time to shadow an anchor who was broadcasting from the WIA Summit. In a full-circle, I now host a weekly TV show focused on agricultural policy that is broadcast on RFD-TV!
Want to learn more? Join the ranks of these accomplished students and apply for the 2025 Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Student Scholarship Award. Chosen recipients will enjoy complimentary registration and accommodations at the 2025 WIA Summit in Orlando, Florida, September 22-24, where they will be among more than 1,000 decision-makers in the sector. The deadline to submit applications is Sunday, July 13.
Or, join the generous sponsors who have provided funding for ag students to engage and gain the knowledge to progress their careers in the sector. Companies like ADM, Bunge, Cargill, CF Industries, CoBank, Smithfield Foods, PTxTrimble, US Nisshin Shokai, Wilber-Ellis and many more. Contact John Hayes for details.
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