Earlier this year in March, Missouri State University alumna Kensie Darst-Todd received a momentous email with news she was the 2024 EMMY Collegiate Multimedia Journalist Award winner for the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
She won the prestigious award for her project titled “Mental Health and Agriculture.” It told the story of Hunter Atcheson, a dear friend, and Jason Medows, a Southwest Missouri rancher, mental health advocate and the voice behind the podcast “Ag State of Mind.”
From Aurora, Missouri, Darst-Todd graduated with her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Missouri State in December 2023. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same field at Texas Tech University.
“I was sitting here on Texas Tech campus in the middle of lecture when I got the email that said I was an Emmy Award winner and the first student from Missouri State to win one. I was trying not to freak out the whole rest of class,” said Darst-Todd, who accepted her award at the EMMY Awards Gala on Oct. 26.
How the project came about
When Darst’s broadcast journalism class at Missouri State was asked to pitch an idea for a story to produce, she saw it as an opportunity to shine a light on a topic she believed in – mental health and agriculture.
Her goal was clear: “to tell a story that matters, one that shines a light where darkness often lingers.”
“In that class, many students didn’t know about agriculture and had questions about it. I wanted to find a way to introduce them to my lifestyle,” Darst-Todd said. “As a communicator, I knew if I didn’t communicate with them the importance of agriculture, then somebody else would do that and they may do it incorrectly.”
She thought her project would be seen only by her classmates and her journalism professor Dr. Leonard Horton III. But in December 2023, Horton informed her he had submitted her piece for some awards. She had no idea it was for an EMMY.
“I was overwhelmed with joy knowing I do have a place in the journalism industry and that Dr. Horton believed in me enough to submit my work,” Darst-Todd said. “It’s reassuring to know I have the purpose of telling the stories of farmers, ranchers, cowboys and cowgirls.”
From a Tiger to a Bear
When she first started college in 2019, she spent her first two years studying agriculture education at the University of Missouri. She chose an agriculture major due to her involvement in the national FFA organization while in high school.
When she became pregnant with her son, she decided to move back closer to home and enrolled at Missouri State in fall 2021. She also changed her major to agriculture communications, so she could pursue her passion for writing and storytelling.
“I had visited the campus through high school activities, and I knew it would be a suitable campus and location for the family I was going to raise. Missouri State was very family-oriented and welcomed my son,” Darst-Todd said.
One of the things she appreciated most about Missouri State was the supportive professors. She also loved taking journalism courses.
While taking courses in the accelerated master’s program, Darst-Todd got to be the sole journalist for the Darr College of Agriculture. This role involved interviewing people, publishing stories on the website and overseeing all media coverage.
In this role, she tried to find ways to enhance the agricultural communications program. It was the initial reason she took her first journalism class.
“Through my process of trying to find different tracks that could be offered to students in ag communications, I was able to build a relationship with Dr. Horton and learned so much about becoming a multimedia journalist,” Darst-Todd said.
She also had a mentor in Dr. Kelsi Opat while at Darr. Opat is now at Texas A&M University.
“It was a great experience because I got a full-time mentor and friend in the process. She taught me a lot about storytelling,” Darst-Todd said.
An involved student
At Missouri State, she was actively engaged in campus life. She served as managing editor of two publications in the College of Agriculture.
“I learned how to formulate stories and design a publication while also facilitating the relationships of a team. I applaud the program, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future,” Darst-Todd said.
In addition, she was national president of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT), chapter president of Sigma Alpha sorority and member of both the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association and Delta Tau Alpha.
As ACT national president, Darst-Todd met with her team members every month to talk about upcoming events they needed to facilitate with collegiate members, hosted various webinars, monthly contests and other events such as a national event on Missouri State’s campus called the Professional Development Conference.
“At the end of the day, one of the things I reflect on is the networking and relationships I made in my undergraduate years at MSU,” she said.
Dreaming big
Besides focusing on her graduate studies, Darst-Todd does freelance writing for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). She believes this opportunity will help her to attain her biggest goal: “to be one of the best storytellers or multimedia journalists within the industry.”
Her dream job is to work at the Cowboy Channel at the Fort Worth stockyards in Texas or RFD-TV based in Nashville, Tennessee. She would also love to work full-time at the PRCA.
“I don’t want to limit myself to what career I want to pursue, but I do want to work in the realm of rodeo or agriculture,” Darst-Todd said.
Words of wisdom
She encourages fellow students to not let their past define their future.
“I wasn’t raised fully in agriculture. I was the second generation removed from the family farm, so I always asked myself if I have the right to serve in the agricultural world by telling stories,” she said.
“I learned to not let that define my goal. You just must be willing to put in the hard world and extra effort to get there. Chances are, you’re trying out something new that you’re not an expert in and you’re going to have to put in the late hours and extra time to ensure you’re one of the best in the industry.”