YOUTH IN AG
NEW INTERNSHIP PROGRAM GROWS OUT OF PARTNERSHIP
By Gerardo R. Martínez, MBA, Alianzas Program Director
Pictured from left to right: Rick Huacuz,
Gerardo Martinez and Isaac Roldan visit
a Sedalia farm.
A
bout a year ago, MU Extension
invited the leadership of FCS
Financial, an agricultural and rural
financial institution, to attend
a Missouri 4-H Youth Futures
conference. Jo Turner, former
Interim Vice Provost and Director
of MU Extension, extended the
invitation to Steve Harrington,
FCS Financial Chief Financial
Officer. He accepted. As a result of
his experience at the conference,
Harrington felt inspired to reach
out to Latino students to become
part of FCS Financial’s established
college internship program. He
asked Dr. Turner for her thoughts
on how to best achieve that goal.
She immediately thought of
12 HEARTBEAT | FALL 2017
Alianzas, believing we could help
FCS Financial pioneer this new
outreach by helping them tailor
their program to Latino college
students and their families.
Soon after, Harrington and
FCS Financial Vice President
of Human Resources Karie
Mengwasser, and HR generalist
Liz Shollmeyer met with MU
Extension and Alianzas to discuss
forming a partnership, including
roles, responsibilities and planned
outcomes. MU Vice Chancellor
of Extension and Engagement Dr.
Marshall Stewart dropped by the
meeting to show his support for
the new joint effort.
The new partners agreed upon
the following internship program
goals:
Promote successful internship
experiences for Latino/a
college students
• Contribute to Latino/a college
students’ positive future career
outcomes
• Increase cultural awareness
and intercultural competencies
at FCS Financial
• Forge strong relationships
between FCS Financial and
the Latino/a community
Soon after all details were
settled, Alianzas reached out
to state universities and Latino
organizations to announce the
internship
opportunity
and
encourage students to apply. In
June, FCS Financial selected two
students, Rick Huacuz (Missouri
State University, Accounting)
and Isaac Roldan (Oklahoma
•