At the 2023 Kansas Corn Symposium, Kansas Corn recognized students graduating from the fifth class of the Kansas Corn Collegiate Academy. This program is part of an effort by the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Corn Commission to provide opportunities for college students of all majors to learn more about the corn industry, explore issues facing agriculture and embrace the ways they can impact the industry through their future career paths.
Members of the fifth Collegiate Academy class were recognized during this year’s Kansas Corn Symposium in Salina on January 26, for completing the program. Participants expanded their knowledge about ethanol, livestock, trade, policy, education, agronomy, conservation and consumer engagement.
“Being in the Kansas Corn Academy has better equipped me to communicate with farmers about the corn industry," says Hannah Ballard, Collegiate Academy Class 5 graduate. "I am more educated about the ethanol industry and it's impact. I also have a better understanding of how the FSA works. This will help me in my future career with Frontier Farm Credit as these are all topics I can talk about with my customers. It will help me build trust with them along with help me create personal relationships with those on my customer list.”
During the first session of the Collegiate Academy, students visited the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka and met with state representatives, learned about how lobbying is done at the state level and toured the Kansas Feed and Grain Association office. The second session took the group to Kansas City to learn about exports and how grain moves through the railway system, the seed sales industry, and corn-fed livestock production. The third session was a drive to southwest Kansas where the students learned about irrigation, ethanol production, and the area’s growing dairy industry. In July 2022, the students traveled to Washington D.C. to learn how policy affects family farms, agribusinesses and international grain markets. The students completed the program by submitting a capstone project summarizing their experiences. After completion of the program each student received a scholarship to award their hard work.
Kansas college students enrolled in 2-year or 4-year post-secondary schools are eligible to apply for Collegiate Academy. The sixth class is currently underway and applications for Class 7 will open in fall 2023. For more information on this and other collegiate programs visit https://kscorn.com/corn-on-campus/.
Collegiate Academy Class 5 Graduates:
- Hannah Ballard, Madison, Kan., Kansas State University
- Logan Elliott, Asbury, Mo., Kansas State University
- Nathan Caraway, Louisburg, Kan., Kansas State University
- Kaylee Long, Burlington, Kan., Pittsburg State University
- Elizabeth Sturgis, Joplin, Mo., Kansas State University
Categories: Kansas, Crops, Corn