Post 5: In this “Where Are They Now” Series, We Meet Paige Stevenson

By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media (June 7, 2022)

Each of our student scholars is unique, with different backgrounds, from different parts of the country, and with various experiences at myriad universities and colleges. Today, in our look back at where some of Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Student Scholarship participants are now, we highlight Paige Stevenson of Washington, D.C., who is now manager of global trade for the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). In this role, which she began in August 2021, Stevenson provides trade servicing expertise to Council members and customers, and works to develop export markets for U.S. feed grains and strengthen the relationship between USGC and traders around the world.

She joins the list of accomplished young women whom we have recognized: Anna Grace Goode, Stephanie Bailey, Haylee VanScoy, and Bridget Silvernail, and all of the more than 150 students who have advanced through this program, and the many more who will do so in the future. Please meet Paige:

1). Please tell us more about the Women in Agribusiness Summit you attended, and how you came to learn about it and get involved in the organization.

I attended the Women in Agribusiness Summit in 2016 in Chicago. I learned of the organization through women in the College of Agriculture at Purdue, where I was attending school, who were participants.

2). What connections did you make from that participation, and how did it help shape your career goals and path?

The Summit provided me great opportunities for connections to be made. I was able to connect with women from two companies I held internships with in college; these connections were extremely valuable, as I ultimately went on to work full time for one of these organizations and had a broader network within the organization to start off my career.

I was also able to learn about many new organizations and jobs within the ag industry that I did not know existed. This definitely changed my perspective that you can have a wide variety of roles but still be tied to the agriculture industry. Ultimately my experience also led me to attending the virtual WIA Summit with my organization in 2020. I was able to connect with a scholar my organization had sponsored, and that was very rewarding for me.

3). What is the top skill or benefit you walked away with from the Summit?

The Summit gave me a new perspective on the importance of having a strong group of women around you - both inside and outside of your organization - and many facets of the industry. Through events like the Summit, I was very fortunate to find women who have supported me as I began my career. I hope to be able to do that for other young women as they begin their careers.

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If you are a WIA student scholarship beneficiary or know of one who’d like to share her story, please reach out to Michelle Pelletier Marshall at mmarshall@womeninag.com. Or to be considered for a scholarship, contact Carrie Vita at cvita@highquestgroup.com or visit womeninag.com/initiatives.

ABOUT PAIGE STEVENSON

Paige Stevenson is manager of global trade for the U.S. Grains Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products worldwide. In this capacity, Stevenson provides trade servicing expertise to the Council, strengthens the Council’s relationships with the U.S. and global traders, and furthers the export marketing interests of U.S. feed grains and co-products.

Prior to joining the Council, Stevenson held a variety of roles at Bunge North America, from grain buying at the farmer level to handling logistics for export flows.

Stevenson holds a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from Purdue University. She is currently pursuing a master’s in agribusiness management from Mississippi State University. She resides in Washington, D.C.