The Twin Cities didn’t feel like home to a girl from rural Minnesota. That was until she found the University of Minnesota...
“There’s a disconnect between rural life and the city, we think that things are different than they are,” agricultural communication and marketing senior Emma Nelson said. “I’d say simply, it was a perception issue. Growing up in a small town, it’s not easy when friends and family don’t want to come to the cities. It’s only two and a half hours away, but I only came to the cities for the Minnesota State Fair, a Mall of America run or if we were going to fly somewhere.”
Today, however, Nelson lives and breathes the Twin Cities life and has learned the value of shifting her perspective. Graduating with just twenty students in her high school class, the adjustment to the big city was significant, but that shift led to prestigious internships and unique coursework that opened her eyes to the role she could play in the future of food.
Growing up on a corn, soybean and kidney bean farm in west-central Minnesota, agriculture was central to Nelson’s life. As an active member of 4-H and the National FFA Organization in her high school days, she credits her involvement with youth organizations for breaking her out of her shell. “I was a shy kid until [4-H General Livestock] Project Bowl. It played a significant role in helping me gain confidence.”
Another factor in her path to confidence was the help of her mentor, Lee Johnston. Met through 4-H, he helped Nelson find her first internship after her freshman year of college.
“He’s probably the biggest reason why I’m here at the University of Minnesota,” said Nelson, “I took a tour and learned more about the St. Paul community and that’s what sold me.”
In her journey from rural high school student to urban collegiate scholar, Nelson has held three internships to build her professional experience. In the summer of 2019, she worked at the West Central Research and Outreach Center as an undergraduate swine intern. Her path to this internship was thanks to Johnston, who worked as her supervisor for the summer. This internship helped her focus on her interest in production agriculture and food animal research.
The summer after her sophomore year, Nelson applied for and received the prestigious position with Land O’Lakes as a Global Food Challenge Emerging Leader for Food Insecurity. This internship only accepted six applicants in 2020 and looks for the young professionals that will be shaping the future of food. As a part of this internship, Nelson learned the importance of cooperatives and their value in American agriculture. She also explored food insecurity in other nations and how organizations like Land O’Lakes help make a difference. Nelson pursued this internship because of her passion for sharing where food comes from with consumers.
As a part of her experience, she solidified her stance that “we as Americans don’t have to feed the whole world,” Nelson said, “we just need to share our knowledge and experiences with people who don’t have access to the things that we do. I have a more positive mindset now, knowing that my community doesn’t need to feel the burden of ‘how do we feed the world?’ when we should say, ‘how can we think bigger? How can we be the next Norman Borlaug’”?
Finally, Nelson held an internship in 2021 with Land O’Lakes in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a supply chain intern. This internship helped Nelson understand the necessity of the supply chain in bringing feed to farms in the area.
In addition, the internship gave her the experience and perspective of living in a different environment and learning to step out on her own in a new city, state and region. However, Nelson’s greatest lesson through this experience was learning that a career in the supply chain doesn’t fit her interests well. This allowed her to hone in during her senior year to find the career paths that would be a better fit.
In addition to her internship experience, Nelson credits her University of Minnesota classwork with preparing her for the career path she intends to follow.
“[The agricultural communication and marketing major] is amazing. I’ve already developed my skills so that if [a marketing career] was the direction I wanted to go, I would be ready for an entry-level job, even though I’ve never interned in that area.”
The hands-on nature of the classes in her program have allowed Nelson to build practical, real-life skills in communications such as producing a portfolio, learning to create graphics, and even winning national awards in photography through the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow organization. These experiences showed Nelson both what she did, and what she didn't want to pursue in the future. Her internships were largely a result of her attendance at the University of Minnesota since applicants for the Global Food Challenge internship must attend one of a select few universities. These opportunities are available for the taking, yet, rural students aren’t drawn to the urban areas, says Nelson. While the difference in the environment is clear, Nelson still stays true to her roots.
“I would say I certainly have kept the same morals and values that I grew up with,” said Nelson, “but I am definitely more understanding of how others live and more in tune with my own beliefs.”
Other rural students see the urbanization of the cities as an obstacle to attending the University of Minnesota. Rural students may be intimidated by the large size of the metro area, or feel that they will not find community on a campus of so many students. “I have friends who would have thrived here, but because of the urban environment, they wouldn’t even come tour,” said Nelson.
Attending school in the Twin Cities came from her willingness to be open to the opportunities at the University, and Nelson says that’s her best advice to other students.
“Just take the tour!” she said, “being open to new opportunities and new environments can lead to so much more.”