Branching Out

An aptitude for math and science led EmmaRae Parsons to consider pursuing a degree in civil engineering. When a high school teacher asked why she was interested in that topic she realized she didn’t have an answer.

Growing up surrounded by farms and ranches in the small rural town of Arco and participating in 4-H horse and sheep projects had given Parsons an appreciation for agriculture, but she hadn’t considered a career in the industry. Friends and neighbors encouraged her to explore options offered in the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“I was always passionate about being outside and I love the people I grew up with and a lot of them are farmers and ranchers,” she said. “Most of those that had gone to college were Vandals and were very passionate about it.”

Parsons discovered the biotechnology and plant genomics degree at U of I and her mother encouraged her to try it out, combining her skills in math and science with her interest in agriculture.

Learning Through Experience

Once Parsons arrived on campus she began working as a research assistant in Professor Fangming Xiao’s plant molecular biology lab where she was able to work on genotyping projects and learned basic procedures such as PCR and tissue culture.

She also decided to add a second degree in agricultural economics: agribusiness emphasis and completed a directed study project with Assistant Professor Alexander Maas. She learned to use R, a programming language for statistical computing and data visualization, to plot a map with latitude and longitude, creating buffers to figure out crop mixes for dairies and how it changes the further you move out in the buffer.

Parsons was encouraged by fellow students and faculty to apply to two prestigious programs while at U of I, the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program and the American Society of Agronomy’s (ASA) Greenfield Scholar program.

The Future Leaders program featured a weeklong tour of Washington, D.C., including attendance at the Agricultural Outlook Forum, the USDA’s largest and premier annual gathering. Parsons was one of 20 students selected for the program and was able to meet U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and World Agricultural Outlook Board Chairperson Mark Jekanowski.

Parsons was one of four students selected for the Greenfield Scholars program in 2023. The program provides a mentor and allows students to attend the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America’s annual meeting. Parsons also joined other Greenfield Scholars on a trip to Washington, D.C. where she met with Idaho senators and representatives to advocate for agriculture.

“I loved going to D.C. and meeting with staffers to advocate. Most of them were Vandals so it was really cool,” she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Parsons also found time to join the U of I Polo Club, competing on the varsity team for the past two years.

“I love getting to ride and being around fellow horse people,” she said. “When the team is really meshing together, that’s such a fun thing. I was a runner in high school and didn’t do team sports, so this was a new thing for me.”

Parsons will graduate in May 2024 and begin her career as a crop insurance analyst trainee with AgWest Farm Credit based in Twin Falls. Her decision to pursue the agribusiness side of her degrees came after a summer internship with the company.

“With my experience with R, I did quite a few projects last summer testing different systems we were trying to develop which was really fun,” she said. “I was a little sad to give up the plant sciences, but it came down to location and company culture and the people I worked with made a huge difference.”

The educational experiences and opportunities to grow as a leader at U of I have helped set Parsons up for success. Looking back, she’s happy she took the advice of Vandals in her community to attend U of I.

“It is a family. You find your people that you really love to be around and it’s just a huge support system,” she said.