UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A group of Penn State undergraduate students recently traveled to the nation’s capital to meet with governmental and nonprofit leaders in the international agricultural sector. The visit was an opportunity to learn about current issues from those actively working in the industry.
The 12 students made the trip as part of the capstone course in the international agriculture (INTAG) minor in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The program offers students a chance to explore the complexities of food systems around the world and how they are impacted by environmental factors, technology, economics, politics and culture.
The group toured some of the biggest players in the global agricultural market — including the World Bank, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, Civilian Research and Development Foundation Global, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
According to Noel Habashy, assistant teaching professor and coordinator of the INTAG minor, the two-day trip to Washington is a key component of the program, and this year was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that it was held in person.
“We specifically bring students to D.C. because the city is bursting with international agricultural development organizations, and it gives students a chance to explore potential career paths,” Habashy said. “Even experiences like passing through security checkpoints and eating in cafeterias can give students important insight into the culture and workflow of potential employers.”
He added that many of the program’s graduates now work for the organizations that the class visited, and when touring the USDA, this year’s class met with three Penn State alumni to talk about their work. The group made introductions by sharing their names, majors and favorite Berkey Creamery ice cream flavors.
To prepare students for careers in the industry, the INTAG minor also offers an introduction to the highly complex problems the agriculture industry faces.
“We learn how to peel back the layers of problems to fully explore them, all while not losing hope,” Habashy said. “It is a good program for people who want to investigate challenging questions but also find ways to thoughtfully move forward and address them.”
One student who has taken advantage of the program is Emily Betler, a fourth-year student majoring in plant sciences with a business certificate. Betler said that her favorite organization to visit was the United States Agency for International Development.
“They had such a strong passion for what they were doing, and they were excited to have the next generation there visiting,” Betler said. “You felt it the second you walked in the building.”
Betler also noted that she enjoyed meeting successful Penn State alumni because she realized they had once been in her shoes.
“It was awesome to see that they had been able to build their own life in D.C., even though many of them had not started there,” she said. “It gave me hope that working for an NGO or the government is within reach.”
Betler, along with several of the students who traveled to Washington, graduated this spring. She said that the organizations they visited were eager to tell the soon-to-be graduates about employment opportunities in the field. Yet, she found the most comfort in the personal advice the students received from the professionals.
“When we asked each group about what they wish they had known as they graduated college, their responses put my mind at ease,” she said. “They said not to stress too much about finding the perfect job or graduate school as soon as you’re finished. You’ll figure everything out. Just enjoy it and learn as much as you can.”
More information about the International Agriculture minor is available on the College of Agricultural Sciences website.