Supporting Ag - One Student at a Time
- Michelle Pelletier Marshall
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media (June 24, 2025)
By the numbers, over 400 young women in agribusiness from undergraduate to master’s level to Ph.D. have benefitted from the knowledge and connections gained from attending the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit with a student scholarship. More than $100,000 is provided every year from the generous sponsors of these scholarships, for a total of more than $1.365 million over the last 13 years. That’s a lot of power given to women’s success.
These sponsors, whose registration compensation allows for students to attend the three-day WIA Summit that is chock full of activities, networking and learning experiences, not to mention special workshops, lunches and collaborative opportunities for the young women, are to be recognized.
Through the years, companies like ADM, Bunge, PTx Trimble, Smithfield and Wilbur Ellis (see the complete list of 2024 sponsors and students here) have sponsored students. This year, the list of WIA student sponsors includes Cargill, Manulife Investment Management, Nuveen and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Here’s what some of them had to say about the program:
“USDEC seeks to invest in the future leaders of the dairy and agriculture industries as a whole, especially female student leaders. We are proud to support these accomplished, high-achieving young women who will undoubtedly give back to the dairy and agriculture industries in the years to come. Supporting the Women in Agribusiness student scholarship program also aligns with USDEC’s mission of creating a future with innovation, quality and sustainable nutrition—which these young ladies will be at the forefront of building.”— Jerry Brown, senior VP of Communications, U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Danielle Harris, CAIA, AFM managing director of North American acquisitions and dispositions of Manulife and a years-long supporter of WIA initiatives, answered a few questions for WIA Today about the program and stressed the fact that “We [Manulife] view this connection not as a one-time sponsorship, but as the beginning of a long-term relationship—one that reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting women in agriculture.” Here’s more:
Why did Manulife sponsor a student to attend the WIA Summit? At Manulife, we believe that the future of agribusiness depends on retaining and attracting diverse talent and empowering the next generation of leaders. By sponsoring a student to attend the Women in Agribusiness Summit, we’re investing in both the individual potential of a promising young woman and the broader goal of building a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient agricultural industry. The WIA Summit provides an opportunity for students to connect with industry professionals and build confidence in their ability to participate in our industry.
We’ve seen firsthand how this experience can be transformative—not only for the student, but for our company as well, as we continue to learn from and be inspired by emerging voices in the field. Supporting this initiative aligns with our commitment to mentorship, education, and advancing women in agriculture. We’re proud to play a part in shaping a future where talent rises from every background and where leadership reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
What benefits did you see "your student" gain from receiving the opportunity to attend with your company's support? We were very happy to see how much our sponsored students have gained from the experience. Attending the Women in Agribusiness Summit opened doors for them to continue growing their network of professionals, mentors, and peers—many of whom shared valuable insights about career paths, leadership, and navigating the industry as a woman. In addition, many of our students left the Summit with a deeper understanding of the latest trends and challenges shaping agribusiness today. It was clear the sessions expanded their perspectives and sparked new ideas about where she could make a meaningful contribution in the field. Being part of the WIA community that values and uplifts women in agriculture helps validate our students’ ambitions and reinforce their beliefs that they have an important role to play in this industry. We’re proud to have helped provide that opportunity and look forward to seeing where their journeys take them next.
Did you meet/mentor your student and do you know where they are now? Yes, we had the opportunity to connect with our sponsored students both before, during, and after the Summit, and it was incredibly rewarding. During the conference, the entire Manulife attendee group carves out time to meet with our student. We hope that a diverse group of Manulife women can bring guidance, our own career experiences, and encouragement to her to make the most of every networking and learning opportunity at the event. We had the opportunity to sponsor Reagan Russell at the WIA 2022 Summit in Dallas, Texas. The Manulife team enjoyed breakfast with Reagan and have stayed connected with her via email and LinkedIn since the Summit. We were so excited to see Reagan joined the WIA family in a full-time role as a production coordinator after her graduation from Texas A&M. We’ve had the opportunity to work with her at subsequent WIA events, such as the WIA Nashville event in 2023 and the upcoming WIA Orlando event in September. We view this connection not as a one-time sponsorship, but as the beginning of a long-term relationship—one that reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting women in agriculture.
And speaking of Reagan Russell, WIA Today spoke to her and fellow former student scholarship recipient Priyamvadha Sivakumar, who is now a senior manager with Amazon. Take a listen to the video interview below to hear how the scholarship opened doors for them.
To learn more about sponsoring a student, contact John Hayes at jhayes@womeninag.com. Applications for student scholarships can be found here. Deadline to submit is July 13.
[Tap below to listen to the video interview.]
