RRMR graduate returns from Ethiopian internship

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

As a student at Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock High School, Kelli Wicks didn’t anticipate that her FFA chapter could lead her to an internship across the world.

Now beginning her freshman year at Iowa State University, Wicks has just returned to Iowa after eight weeks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — an experience that armed her with a new perspective in her chosen field of animal science.

Wicks was one of 24 students chosen as a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern through the World Food Prize Foundation this summer.

The internship program sent Wicks and other students to research issues relating to global food insecurity, and to present their findings in a professional research report.

“It was extremely eye-opening,” Wicks said. “I didn’t really go in with any expectations, which allowed me to adapt to whatever I was doing. I was just kinda going on it.”

Wicks researched the management practices of Ethiopian diary farmers to identify what practices could lead to the most efficient milk yields.

“I had a questionnaire that talked about management practices, feeding, the money in veterinary costs,” Wicks said. “I summarized each individual farm on management, input and outputs. Each were so unique.”

It was a long road before Wicks found herself on her first trip abroad. In 2016, Wicks’ FFA advisor Jim Hanson brought to her attention the Iowa Youth Institute, which asked students to write a report on a food-insecure country of their choice.

FFA had been “my absolute favorite parts of high school,” Wicks said. She had held multiple officer positions at her FFA chapter, worked on the state nomination committee and won a state biotechnology contest with her teammates.

Wicks reported on the education system in the African nation Chad. From more than 300 students, she was one of 75 invited to present at the Global Youth Institute.

From there, Wicks applied for and was accepted into the global internship program.

“It was quite a long process,” Wicks said. “(Hanson) was so incredibly excited. The night I found out I called him right away.”

Once in Ethiopia, Wicks stayed in a hostel with other interns and traveled to regions surrounding the capital city, meeting directly with farmers. She also worked with fellow Iowan and intern Hannah Heit, from New Hampton, who was studying the growth rate of four breeds of chickens.

“i was able to share with farmers that I had an understanding of what they were doing,” she said.

“It was really nice to work with them individually and give them advice on how to handle their cattle better,” Wicks said. “Most of the farmers really enjoyed sitting down and just talking about their pride and joys.”

The internship has inspired some goals in Wicks’ life, she said. After college, Wicks hopes to continue  into researching genetics, nutrition or reproduction in cattle. She’d also like to continue traveling, although “I don’t think I’d like to spend as much time as I did,” she said.

It’s important for more high school students to be involved if they want similar opportunities, Wicks said.

“You have to go out and do it and have fun. You have to make friends. It’s really important to get involved and just do it,” Wicks said.