CWU students find inspiration, connection at Global Produce and Floral Show
Four students from Central Washington University has the opportunity to visit the International Fresh Produce Association’s annual Global Produce and Floral Show.
Courtesy photo/Central Washington University
ELLENSBURG — Agriculture is the cornerstone of civilization around the world, and as such, the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) annual Global Produce and Floral Show (GPFS) attracts visitors from a broad variety of industries and markets, and Higher Education Agribusiness programs, with a shared goal of helping the field grow and evolve.
This year, a group of four CWU students and Management & Marketing Department Lecturer Michael Rogel, attended the show from October 17-19 in Atlanta, Georgia. This fall marked the CWU Agribusiness program’s third consecutive presence at GPFS and was possible thanks to a $75,000 grant awarded through Senator Maria Cantwell’s Office.
The CWU team walked away from the experience feeling inspired and better connected with the industry. Rogel said the students each approached the convention with their own goals in mind.
“We were just jazzed as a group to be there,” he said. “Some students were in it to network and secure interviews for positions after graduation, while others were more interested in exploring all the new technology and best practices on display. There was something for everyone, and we all left with more than we came with.”
Elena Tucker, a student ambassador for CWU’s Agribusiness program, was attending the GPFS for the second time. Her experience this time around cemented her confidence in her career choice and provided her with networking opportunities as she prepares to graduate in the spring.
“The conference really showed me how kind and welcoming people in agriculture can be,” Tucker said. “They want to get people involved and encourage them to get on board no matter what their skillset is. It’s a lot bigger than putting seeds in the ground.”
Tucker, who grew up in East Wenatchee, initially decided to pursue a minor in agribusiness after completing her major in accounting, realizing she still had time to take her degree even further.
“Once I finished my major, I realized I wanted to do more to sort of spur me towards graduation,” she said. “A lot of my friends back home work in agriculture, so when Central started offering these programs, I knew I had an opportunity to work with something that’s important to my community and sets me up for a good future.”
At the show, the CWU group met up with Boubacar Diakhaby, a CWU finance major who is also minoring in agribusiness. He was working at the GPFS as part of his participation in the highly competitive IFPA Leadership Internship program.
“Agriculture has always been at the core of my long-term goals, so when I heard about the IFPA in one of my finance classes, I knew I had an amazing opportunity to learn about the agribusiness sector,” he said. “I took a chance and wrote a letter expressing my ambition to contribute to my country’s self-sufficiency through farming.”
Diakhaby moved to the U.S. from his home country of Senegal in 2021 with a goal of pursuing degrees in finance and agribusiness. During his three years at Central, he has taught himself English and approached his work with the passion and commitment necessary to change the agricultural landscape back home.
Diakhaby hopes to bring the dedication to innovation he witnessed at the GPFS home with him once he finishes his degree.
“Seeing how connected the industry is made me realize the immense opportunities it holds,” he said. “It was like being in a paradise of agribusiness, and I wish for Senegal to have organizations like that to help advance our own agriculture sector.”
Since its inception in 2021, the CWU Agribusiness program has continued to grow in both reputation and capacity, thanks to events like the GPFS and the dedication of professors like Rogel. He believes the secret to its ongoing success, and the special place CWU occupies in the educational landscape, lies with the instructors who come here to teach.
“We are focused on the success of our students, both within their craft and on a personal level,” Rogel said. “A lot of professors who could be teaching at much bigger universities come here because of the opportunity they have to make a big impact in the lives of their students, thanks to our small class sizes and focus on meaningful connections. Central is all about people helping people, and thanks to events like this, I get to recommend my students to anyone within earshot.”