MSU inspiring future leaders in global food security

Contact: Anslee Boyd

STARKVILLE, Miss.—High school students from across Mississippi convened at Mississippi State as participants of the eighth annual World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute, hosted today [Feb. 21] by MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Students were recognized as Borlaug Scholars as they tackled real-world challenges such as food insecurity, water resource management and human rights issues. Each student researched a selected country, wrote an essay exploring a critical issue from the perspective of a typical family and presented actionable solutions. They shared their findings through short presentations and small-group discussions, engaging with experts, educators and peers to exchange ideas and gain insight.

Darrell Sparks, CALS associate dean and leader of the World Food Prize Mississippi Youth Institute, said the program’s goal is to help students step out of their comfort zones and start thinking globally.

“This isn’t just a field trip; this program requires students to put in the work upfront—writing essays, developing solutions and discussing their findings,” Sparks said. “Students begin to see how interconnected the world is and how they can contribute to solving complex problems.”

Joy Kitchens, a Collinsville native and Meridian Christian Home Educators sophomore, returned for her second year in the program. Last year, she presented on an outreach project in Brazil to address world hunger, malnutrition, education and medical needs. For this year’s presentation, she focused on Brazil but with a different approach.

“This year, I decided to propose a community farm in the state of Piauí, where unused land could be cultivated with corn and soybeans. Chickens would provide fertilizer, and small vegetable gardens would allow the community to work together and generate income,” she said. “Last year, I was extremely nervous to present, but this year, I feel much more confident.”

The Mississippi Youth Institute has proven to be a transformative experience for many students. Kitchens’ brother, Mississippi 4-H President John Clayton Kitchens, competed in the 2023 Mississippi Youth Institute and was selected to attend the 2023 Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa. He was inspired by his county 4-H agent to participate.

“MSU rolled out the red carpet for us for this event. It is a great way to meet other students, and I would encourage others to broaden their horizons and participate in this program to see beyond just the U.S. This event helped me to truly understand the plight faced by people in other parts of the world,” he said. “The Mississippi Youth Institute and Global Youth Institute helped me solidify my plans of going into agricultural law upon graduation.”

The event’s Charles E. Lindley Lecture featured speaker Cassandra Mobley, chief operating officer of the Mississippi Food Network. Serving the nonprofit for over two decades, Mobley’s presentation focused on food insecurity in Mississippi and innovative strategies to address hunger locally.

Selected students will be invited to represent Mississippi at the Global Youth Institute in in October. Participating students were entered in a drawing for several CALS scholarships and are eligible to apply for the Borlaug Ruan International Internship and the USDA Wallace-Carver Fellowship.

This year’s Borlaug Scholars are (by school):

BRANDON—Madison Heidelburg, Lynda Hoskins, Ellie Lin

CORINTH—Myrtralynn Shanks

GREENVILLE CHRISTIAN—Karem Alboshaba, Curstin Bowie, Laila Davis, Tristian Dorsey, D’Sharra Haggard, Jacquarius Harvey, Amari Robinson, Madyson Kirkham, Raven McElvaine, Madison Moore, Makayla Ratliff, Makenzie Ratliff, Robyn Roby

HILLCREST—Emma Brana, Lena Brewer, Jeffery Demeritte, Summer Epperson, Haleigh Grant, Nala Graves, Campbell Hargett, Destiny Jackson, Zoei Kelly, Calon Moore, Jeremiah Moorehead, Deangelo Nicholson-Core, Cayden Thornton

MAGEE—Hayden Huffman, Taylor Smith, Ashleigh Wyatt

MERIDIAN CHRISTIAN HOME EDUCATORS—Joy Kitchens

TREMONT—Rylie Holley

The World Food Prize Global Youth Institute was created by 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug for his lifetime of work to feed a hungry world. The Mississippi Youth Institute is hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Barry L. and Lana B. White, and the Madison Charitable Foundation.

To learn more about the Mississippi Youth Institute, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/en/youth_programs/global_youth_institute/mississippi.

For more on MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.cals.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.