By Mary Vandenbosch and Cassie Cavell
In late March, after extensive preparation, the Houghton College MANRRS Chapter, including eleven students and two advisors, traveled to the MANRRS National Conference in Jacksonville, FL for a one-of-a-kind learning, networking, and professional development experience. With over a thousand students in attendance, it was valuable for the Houghton chapter to meet and connect with students from all over the country.
MANRRS is a national organization that works to support Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Science, through academic and professional advancement. At Houghton, the mission of the chapter is to bring students from diverse backgrounds together and provide them with resources to be successful. Students might have heard of MANNRS through their resumé competition, campus-wide events, and supporting other campus groups and events like BEST Talks and the Center for Sustainability. However, it is much more than that. There are six different regions all across the United States, with colleges and universities from Cornell University, Michigan State, to Texas A&M. Students range from Agriculture Business Majors to even a Houghton student who is a Psychology major.
A conference highlight was Chapter President, Mary Vandenbosch (‘23) being elected as the Region 1 Vice President for this coming year, a very prestigious nationally elected position. She was also recognized as a Cargill Scholar. As a part of the scholarship, Vandenbosch received financial academic support and monthly leadership training. In August, she will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to visit the Cargill headquarters. Scholarships are a very big part of MANRRS, and some can even assist with graduate funding to general education. Cassie Cavell (‘23), an Exercise Science major, will be utilizing her scholarship granted by the Dairy Farmers of America essay competition toward her first semester of Chiropractic school this fall. To apply for these scholarships, all students have to do is be an active member in MANRRS and submit the various applications.
Cavell was also one of five finalists in the national Research Presentation competition. She had 8 minutes to present her biology research proposal entitled Substitution of Cannabidiol Formulations for Migraine Headache Treatments before fielding questions from the judges and audience. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I felt incredibly proud to represent Houghton, one of 70 national chapters, and compete against large universities like Oregon State and Florida A&M. I’m really appreciative to Dr. Antignani and my friends who provided me with an audience to practice before I competed at such a prestigious event!” Another Houghton student, Sarah Gard (‘25), a Business Major, competed in the Research Discussion Contest. The national conference has competitions with prizes for all areas of interest including STEM, communication, business, and more.
Students relished the opportunity to spend valuable time with two Houghton MANRRS alumni, who are now both data scientists for Land O’Lakes, John Khalaf (‘18) and Jacob Annis (‘18). Both alums secured internships and subsequently their jobs as a result of their own MANRRS national conference experiences. Along with three other fellow MANRRS alumni (Michael Cha (‘18), Erik Sorenson (‘20) and Ryan Ozzello (‘21)), they also treated the group to a pizza party and served to be a great source of encouragement to the students.
Our students experienced incredible success during the Career Fair where they secured interviews, internships, and leads on careers following graduation with highly-respected national and international corporations and organizations such as John Deere and the USDA. One student did not know her Digital Marketing interest would be desired by various companies. Andrea Taboni (‘22), a Communications major, stated, “This was an experience like no other. Throughout the conference there were many different opportunities for networking.” Andrea helped show the true nature of MANRRS and how it is for all students from all backgrounds.
“I am confident this unique conference experience will prove to serve as a springboard for our current and future servant-leaders,” explained Karl Sisson, faculty advisor and Vice President for Advancement and External Engagement. “I was very proud of their confidence and composure, and how they represented Houghton College.”
“I relished how our students bonded—referring to themselves as a ‘team’ and re-creating the Houghton community away from campus,” commented Sisson. “They fully supported and encouraged one another. It was a very special thing to witness!”★
To learn more about getting involved in Houghton’s MANRRS Chapter, contact houghton.manrrs@gmail.com or reach out to Chapter President Mary Vandenbosch (‘23) for more questions.
