Ag for all: Students reestablish club dedicated to empowering minorities

Students in the College of ACES banded together over the past year to reinstate a club that provides academic support and professional and personal development for racial and ethnic minorities pursuing degrees in agriculture and the natural resources. 
 
Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, is a national organization dedicated to empowering minorities. 
 
Rebekah Roybal, a dual major in animal science and agricultural communications, was one of several students who pushed to reestablish a MANRRS chapter at NMSU. For Roybal, it was important to bring back the chapter in a way that set it apart from other campus groups. 
 
“We have other clubs and organizations on campus for professional development, but we strive to go above that and give our students relatability,” she said. “Whether that be our relaxed environment, or our efforts to make everyone feel welcome, we emphasize the importance of finding someone you can relate to and pushing each other to become the next generation of leaders.” 
 
Roybal is now in her second semester as the chapter’s president, a role that has shown her how the program helps students. Now, she and others are working to increase the group’s visibility on campus. Their plans include hosting leadership-building workshops and bringing professionals to campus to engage with students.  
 
The chapter also plans to raise money to send students to regional and national MANRRS conferences. Roybal was one of three students from NMSU who attended this year’s national conference in Atlanta. 
 
“There were so many times while at the national conference where I was mind-blown at how many opportunities MANNRS provides,” she said. “There are so many internships and job opportunities that MANRRS members are given the first chance at – not to mention the scholarships funded through the MANRRS organization.” 
 
Roybal said attending conferences can lead to opportunities to meet and interact with industry leaders, and she hopes more NMSU students will get that chance in the coming years. 
 
“We met so many individuals at the national conference who were really excited to see NMSU reinstate its chapter,” she said, adding, “I think everyone knows we have great students, and for MANRRS to highlight them during the conference is something we’re all really proud of. 
 
Agronomy major Emmanuel Tovar, who serves as the chapter’s treasurer, said MANRRS represents the diversity of students across the different branches of agriculture.  
 
“It helps prepare the next generation of leaders to focus on what agriculture really is about and promotes the agriculture profession in a more exciting way,” Tovar said. “MANRRS provides many trades within the agriculture industry and offers academic and professional development by providing support, networking opportunities, mentoring and training in government and other industries. Students who participate in MANRRS also travel all over the world.” 
 
April Ulery, a professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, serves as the co-adviser of the MANRRS chapter at NMSU.  
 
“It has been rewarding for me to serve as a co-adviser to this chapter as I watch the student officers take on the responsibilities of leading the club and networking with other students from NMSU and around the country,” she said. 
 
For more information about NMSU’s MANRRS chapter, contact Ulery at aulery@nmsu.edu. 
 
A version of this story first published in the fall 2023 issue of ACES Magazine. For more stories, visit nmsu.news/aces-magazine-fall-2023.