For alumna Grace Ford, her educational journey at Missouri State University has been a fulfilling one.
She graduated this May with a major in natural resources and a minor in geology. While attending MSU, she has studied abroad and done an internship in Africa to research food security.
Expanding her horizons
From January-July 2022, Ford studied abroad in Uganda. She traveled through an independent program called Living Seeds Initiative. She received college credit for participating in the program.
Ford’s research focused on rural agriculture practices and evaluating the sustainability of foreign aid and how its effect on refugee communities, especially after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
According to Ford, the United Nations (UN) supported refugees by providing food, resources, housing and training. But due to the war, the UN had to reallocate funding away from those communities.
“Over the course of a weekend, the price of grain doubled,” Ford said. “Although the land is fertile, people had not been planting much more than temporary crops that were not substantial. This caused people to worry about where and how they were going to get food.”
The effect of the sudden food shortage on the community sparked her heart for community development.
For six months, she worked on farms, learned various practices from apiculture to piggery construction, urban gardening and business development, and did practical demonstrations in the village. She got credit for public discourse by taking a cultural competency course (IDS 297) that reflected on what she did every day.
While abroad, Ford grew to love Uganda.
“I just want to be there sometimes. It truly feels like home,” she said.
Ford returned to West Africa in 2023 and spent two months completing an internship in community development on a micro-financing and agricultural development project.
After her experiences, she learned not to take the opportunities she has been given lightly.
“Something that stands out to me more now is the Bible verse, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I want to make sure that whatever I am doing, I understand the weight of what I have been given, and that I will do it well.”
A passion for sustainability and agriculture
A native of Springfield, Missouri, Ford grew up with a desire to pursue conservation. After attending the Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility (WOLF) School as a fifth grader, her interest expanded to include the park ranger world.
“When I went to the school, I fell in love with the outdoors and working in nature,” Ford said.
In 2020, she began her studies at MSU. When it came time to meet with her advisor, she chose the natural resources option due to her growing interest in the science side of agriculture. She has not looked back ever since.
A supportive environment
According to Ford, many professors in the Darr College of Agriculture have helped to shape her academic journey. Dr. Melissa Bledsoe, the college’s new dean and Ford’s former academic advisor, helped her to study abroad and graduate in a timely manner.
“She really paved the way for me and is a real advocate for students,” Ford said.
Besides Bledsoe, Ford is also grateful to instructor Katelyn McCoy and senior instructor Nichole Busdieker-Jesse in the School of Hospitality and Agriculture Leadership and senior instructor Damon Bassett in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability for their helpfulness and guidance.
Involvement on campus
Although Ford is local and lives at home, she was involved on campus in many ways during her time at MSU.
She was a member of Delta Tau Alpha, an agriculture honor society. She was also involved in Impact, a Christian group.
For the past year, she served as a Global Ambassador in the education abroad office. In this role, Ford recruited, advised, prepared and assisted future education abroad students.
Plans for the future
Ford will begin working on a farm north of Springfield.
In her future career, she plans to combine both her passion for farming and sustainability.
“The first ever occupation was farmer. Yet, the population of farmers in America is decreasing and the profession often gets marginalized,” Ford said. “I have a soft spot for producers of the land, especially after working firsthand in Uganda.”
She adds she has a heart for advocating for agriculture and sustainability.
“I want to show how we can bridge the gap to bring abundance from the land and preserve the land for future generations.”