Undergraduate Scholarship in Organic and Sustainable Agriculture:
The Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship Program , funded by USDA-HSI, aims to support outstanding students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential in organic and sustainable agriculture. The selected scholars are part of a cohort of student that will be eligible for placements for summer internships and experiential learning with various industry, university, or government partners working in the organic agriculture and sustainable agriculture sectors.
Meet our Scholars!
Hi, I’m Mikaela and my hometown is Mission TX. I’m a senior with a double major in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems and Studios Arts.
I’m interested in organic practices are essential to creating healthy food systems for our communities!
My name is Silvana, and I am a sophomore majoring in sustainable agriculture. I was born in McAllen, TX, but have lived in Weslaco for most of my life.
Sustainable agriculture and organic farming caught my attention while growing up, as I grew up caring for livestock animals and currently care for my family’s cow, making livestock a huge part of my life and opening doors for me to want to learn more about sustainable agriculture since understanding the importance of knowing where our food comes from and how it connects to our community is essential because it gives us the opportunity to make a difference in the world and have a stronger connection with the food that we eat.
My name is Ali I'm a senior in environmental Science. I am originally from Illinois but have lived in Texas for around a decade.
I am interested in sustainable agriculture and organic farming because I know our food system is unsustainable and I want to be a part of creating framework for the future in anyway I can.
My name is Alysa, I am a junior majoring in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. I am from and currently live in Los Fresnos TX. I chose sustainable and organic agriculture because the RGV offers so many opportunities in these areas, especially with its farming community. Being surrounded by agriculture has really inspired me to learn how we can grow food in ways that protect our environment and sustain our land. I also hope to support and teach our local communities about sustainability and also its understanding in the nutritional impact it has on our health.
My name is Paulina and I am currently a senior majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environment and Society. I was born in McAllen, Texas and have lived here since then. The reason why I believe that sustainable and organic agriculture is important is due to the many benefits it can bring locally. Here, in the Rio Grande Valley, sustainable agriculture is still in its early stage, and not many people are well versed in what sustainable agriculture entails. Investing in sustainable agriculture in the RGV is vital and necessary for environmental prosperity and economic profit to thrive in the long term. The RGV lacks sustainably resourced food and is plagued by unhealthy food which causes it to be rated one of the most obese areas in America. Thus, having access to healthy and local food is vital for the health of the local population and should be a priority for the local government.
Hello, my name is Aurora and I am a senior majoring in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. I was born in Reynosa but now live in Edinburg since my elementary years. I had no previous knowledge or experience on agriculture until I took high school agriculture courses, which sparked my interest.
Sustainable agriculture does not get talked about often by others and it is something that I believe needs to be shared, especially here in the RGV. My interest in Sustainable agriculture led to being interested about the food systems in our local communities as well as how to manage these food systems in a way that can be shared for future generations. The sustainable process of our foods from farm to table is what I am deeply passionate about and want to bring forth to our community.