Contact: Vanessa Beeson

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A recent high school graduate has claimed a prestigious fellowship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an opportunity opened to her through participation in Mississippi State’s World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute.

Each year, the World Food Prize Youth Institutes—held in 24 U.S. states and a few international locations—convene high school students, teachers and experts to discuss and study a variety of hunger and food security issues. Students can be selected as a delegate advancing to attend the Global Youth Institute. MSU is host for the Magnolia State’s Youth Institute, with College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Associate Dean Darrell Sparks as coordinator.

Olive Branch resident Danielle McConnell’s participation in MSU’s 2022 WFP program has propelled her toward recent recognition as a USDA Wallace-Carver Fellow. The spring graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science is spending the summer conducting research on brown rust in sugarcane at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Sugarcane Field Station in Canal Point, Florida.

McConnell’s involvement as a Wallace-Carver Fellow stems from her status as a Borlaug Scholar—a designation given to all high school students who are part of the World Food Prize event.

During MSU’s WFP Mississippi Youth Institute, McConnell presented a paper focused on improving Liberia’s economic infrastructure to increase the country’s access to food. She was invited to the 2022 Global Youth Institute and to apply for the Washington-Carver Fellowship.

Her MSMS instructor Tina Gibson, who mentored her throughout the application process, said it’s essential for high school students to engage in research.

“Research experience is vital for students to excel in STEM. I love helping a student develop a project they’re proud of, that they can take ownership of and defend. If they win a competition, that’s even better,” said Gibson, adding that the WFP program gives high school students a chance to tackle real-world problems on a global scale.

Sparks said McConnell’s designation as a Washington-Carver Fellow is a testament to the WFP program’s impact on high school students.

“One of our goals at MSU is to train the next generation of leaders, and that begins well before these students start college. Students who participate in the Mississippi Youth Institute are recognized from that point forward as Borlaug Scholars, which opens so many doors because it shows they have a high-level commitment and passion for facilitating change for the better,” Sparks said.

He said mentors like Gibson are critical for getting students involved in their local Youth Institute and ultimately the WFP.

“It requires commitment on the mentor’s part to promote the program and guide students through the process of developing the required essay that addresses a global problem in another country. The most successful students have mentors such as Dr. Gibson who understand the importance of the institute and the opportunities that will become available to the students,” said Sparks, who noted that mentors can be teachers, guidance counselors, or even parents.

Gibson has since joined MSU as outreach coordinator for the Bagley College of Engineering.

The next World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute at Mississippi State is scheduled for March 1, 2024. Any high school student is eligible to participate. Students, parents and teachers can contact Sparks directly at darrell.sparks@msstate.edu or visit www.worldfoodprize.org/en/youth_programs/global_youth_institute/mississippi to learn more.

Visit MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at www.cals.msstate.edu.

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