International Experiences Inspire Alumna’s Future Plans
It’s often said that one thing leads to another, and Isabell Olsasky’s story is no exception. Like many high schoolers, Olsasky, a member of the Southeast Warren FFA Chapter in Iowa, was on the hunt for scholarships. When her advisor suggested she apply for the Iowa Youth Institute, a transformative experience offered by the World Food Prize Foundation where high school students engage with local leaders and agriculture experts on critical global challenges, she decided to take a chance and submit an essay. Little did she know that single essay would be the beginning of a great adventure. The World Food Prize Foundation is a renowned nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality, quantity and accessibility of food worldwide.
For the scholarship application, Olsasky wrote and presented an essay about sustainable agricultural practices in Vietnam. She was selected as one of the top students at the Iowa Youth Institute, so she was invited to present at the Global Youth Institute, where her essay placed within the top 10 of over 200. From there, she decided to take a chance and apply for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship, also offered by the World Food Prize Foundation, with provides students a unique professional experience to work with world-renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research and development organizations around the world.
“I applied, thinking, ‘There’s no way. I’m just someone from a small town who only did this because my advisor told me about a scholarship,’” Olsasky says. Yet, to her surprise, she was selected for an internship at the International Maize Improvement Center in El Batán, Mexico. Less than two weeks after high school graduation, she was on a plane to spend two months in Mexico.
Her internship included both social and biological science research through field experience and time in the lab, collaborating with scholars and professionals from around the globe.
Her time in FFA greatly prepared her for the internship, especially when it came to professionalism and communication. “I’d never been away from home that long, and I’d never had a real job before,” she says. “Learning how to live on my own, work in an international environment and navigate adulthood — that was huge for me.” Olsasky worked closely with individuals from Belgium, Kenya, India and more, so clear communication was essential.
Olsasky’s experience through the World Food Prize Foundation shaped her future goals. She now studies agronomy and global resource systems at Iowa State University and hopes to pursue a career that helps small farmers from around the world. She encourages FFA members to get involved with the World Food Prize Foundation and other agricultural foundations. “Agriculture is a place for everyone — it’s food, fiber, fuel and fun!”
