HeartBeat Winter 2018 | Page 15

scholarship during her senior year. She competed on the ag econ quiz bowl team that traveled to regional competitions in Atlanta, Georgia, and San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, Rachel attended a Hunger in the World study abroad at the University of Bologna, Italy. “I attended the Hunger In the World: Causes, Consequences, and Remedies program for two weeks in January 2015,” Rachel explains. “The study abroad class focused on teaching us about food insecurity. The first half of the program was spent at the University of Bologna. In the second half, we attended sessions at the Food & Agriculture Organization at the United Nations in Rome. It was very impactful to learn about how much of the world deals with food insecurity while at the same time, food waste is also a huge problem.” While learning about Italian culture, Rachel says she also toured a dairy farm that made Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the Barilla pasta factory. Sight seeing also took her group to Florence where they spent a day exploring the Vatican City. In 2013, Rachel competed at National FFA Convention for agricultural sales and returned the following year to accept her American FFA Degree. An internship in the summer of 2015 sent Rachel to the Missouri Pork Association where she managed educational and promotional events. She also interned at the law firm of Haden & Haden in Columbia in 2016. Currently in her second year at the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City, Iowa, Rachel works as a research assistant and is the conference co-chair for the Organization for Women Law Students and Staff. She is also a student writer for the Journal of Corporation Law. The summer of 2018, she worked as an intern in Des Moines, Iowa, in a dual internship program with Nyemaster Goode law firm and with in-house counsel at John Deere Financial. In 2019, Rachel will spend the summer working at a law firm in Kansas City. Having lived all her life on a cattle ranch and learning from faculty members and mentors at MU, Rachel developed a keen interest in agribusiness law and litigation. She expects to graduate in May 2020 with her juris doctorate degree. “I’m very thankful for all the help FCS Financial has provided me with my education,” Rachel says. “I’m extremely grateful to FCS Financial for granting me one of their scholarships.” Caitlyn has apprenticed at two organic vegetable farms. As part of her life goal to become self-sufficient, she says the opportunities are broadening her farming experiences when compared to growing up on a small cattle farm. Currently a farm hand at an organic farm, Caitlyn lives in central Illinois. caitlyn harrison — As an undergraduate at MU, Kellie was active with Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Through her involvement, she had the opportunity to volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Special Olympics, Red Cross Blood drives and become a mentor to children at a local elementary school in Columbia. palmyra Caitlyn attended Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, graduating in 2015 with an associate degree in energy efficient building technologies general construction. She graduated cum laude in her class. Since finishing college, kellie harvey — shelbina After completing her undergraduate studies in health science at MU in May 2016, Kellie was accepted into the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Pharmacy at MU. HEARTBEAT | WINTER 2018 15