Three UMES undergraduates, Jailynn Britt, James Pinkney and Tyler Reid, have been named 2019 USDA/1890 Scholars. Each have received full scholarships to the university that include books, professional development and employment with the federal government during the summer.
Jailynn Britt is a sophomore from Brandywine, Md. majoring in general agriculture with a concentration in agriculture studies.
“The first time I had heard about agriculture was in my high school’s environmental academy,” Britt said. “From there, I joined Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Jr. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) to broaden my views on agriculture.” Those organizations enabled her to be a Bayer AgAmbassador, participate in USDA AgDiscovery, be a Borlaug scholar and travel to Des Moines, Iowa to the World Food Prize. As a UMES student, she recently traveled to Milan, Italy for the Seeds & Chips Global Food Innovation Summit.
“These are just a few opportunities and experiences being in agriculture have given me,” she said. “Now that I am an 1890 National Scholar, I will only have more insightful and exciting experiences that will develop me as an individual and advance me into my dream career.”
Britt became interested in UMES due to her time on campus through Jr. MANRRS. “I loved how the university had a general agriculture program which is a hard major to come by,” she said. “I also knew it was an 1890 land-grant college specifically for agriculture.”
Her industry partner for her scholarship is APHIS Veterinary Services. This past summer, she was a counselor for the USDA AgDiscovery program.
The learning won’t stop after graduation. Britt intends to continue her education, pursuing a masters and a doctorate. Her career goal is to be employed with the USDA.
James Pinkney is a junior from Clinton, Md. majoring in environmental science with a concentration in chemistry. He credits his involvement with Jr. MANRRS and the fall Leadership Institute as the inspiration for his interest in UMES and “all the amazing opportunities and connections” here.
“I knew UMES was the right school for me because it aligned with my interests, and I built advocacy here before I was even a student,” Pinkney said. “I always had my eye on the USDA and the work that they do and being able to have internships around agricultural and environmental science and in USDA labs was the icing on the cake.”
Pinkney is partnered with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for his scholarship. He recently completed a summer internship in an ARS crops pathology lab in Davis, California where he worked with a group of researchers and other undergraduates. The research focus was on the characterization and diversity of California agrobacterium strains and their effect on walnut populations.
“If it was not for my MANRRS advisors and mentors as well as some professors continuing to push me and providing access to this opportunity as well as countless others,” he said. “I would not have had the chance to be involved in the things I currently have going for me.”
Tyler Reid is a sophomore from Prince George’s County majoring in agricultural studies. At Gwynn Park High School, she was a part of the environmental studies academy and an active member and officer of the Future Farmers of America chapter.
Reid’s interest in UMES stemmed from her time on campus as a Jr. MANRRS participant and a Leadership Institute attendee every fall.
“I came to UMES because I wanted to be able to graduate with my undergraduate degree with little or no debt,” Reid said. “I had also formed a support system here through Karl Binns, Ms. Lisa Purnell, Stephon Fitzpatrick and Dr. Kimberly Braxton. I knew I would have people around me that would push me to succeed and help me accomplish my goals.”
Her sponsoring agency is the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This past summer she was a Wallace Carver Fellow under the World Food Prize interning with the USDA in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement in Washington, D.C.
