CANYON, Texas — A first-generation West Texas A&M University student will attend a national student leadership conference in Chicago, thanks to help from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Juan Castaneda, a sophomore agricultural business and economics major from Amarillo, will attend the ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute at the 37th annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ conference, which will run Oct. 28 to 30 in Chicago.
Castaneda completed WT’s College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, at the end of his freshman year and was named its 2022-23 Scholar of the Year.
USDA representatives attended CAMP’s 2023 orientation retreat in August to hear scholars’ stories of migrating within the agricultural work field. The officials also shared information about USDA programs and opportunities designed to support their academic success, including the new USDA HEP/CAMP Internship that launched nationally in 2022.
“They reached out and said they wanted to sponsor one of our students, and I thought Juan would meet their requirements and would benefit from attending because he’s interested in pursuing a job in agriculture,” said Fabiola Hernandez, CAMP director.
Castaneda said he expected the conference will be “an eye-opening opportunity for me.”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” Castaneda said. “I’ll have the opportunity to meet so many students and professionals in this industry. I feel like I’ll be meeting new faces and building new connections every day.”
Castaneda, a Randall High School graduate, grew up working construction and cattle jobs with his father, a seasonal worker.
“I really didn’t think college was for me until my senior year in high school,” Castaneda said. “I saw information about the ag program at WT, and I learned that if you have a degree in agriculture, it shows you can do the professional side of the work, too, and help you in your future career path.”
CAMP facilitates the transition from high school to college and offers first-year support services to develop the skills necessary to persist and graduate from college.
The program provides academic advising and support; tutoring and supplemental instruction; financial aid counseling; cultural enrichment; social adjustment; leadership and professional development activities; and services, including scholarships up to $2,700, book assistance and a monthly stipend.
Without CAMP, “I probably would have quit college by now,” he said.
“CAMP really does give you a leg up as a freshman,” he said, citing the assistance Hernandez, CAMP tutors and alumni provide freshmen, including academic and career advice.
“I’m hoping Juan is just the first WT student that will be sponsored by the USDA for this conference,” Hernandez said.
The ¡Adelante Leadership Institute is a three-day career leadership and development networking symposium designed to build the career and leadership skills of undergraduate students, according to HACU. More than 500 students from the U.S. and Puerto Rico will attend presentations, workshops, luncheons, and a town hall meeting as well as meet with conference exhibitors and recruiters.
HACU actively seeks out corporate, federal and nonprofit sponsors to help students attend the institute. Students should have a minimum 3.0 GPA, be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to work in the U.S., among other requirements. The sponsorship covers the student’s registration, airfare, lodging and some meals.
Serving CAMP students is one way in which WT is regionally responsive, a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.
