1890 national scholars program

Alcorn State University graduate Christopher Epps learned firsthand how a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investment in a student’s educational career can have a lifetime impact.

California native Floyd D. Harris III knows that perseverance and hard work pay off. A recent graduate of Southern University, an 1890 land-grant university in Louisiana, Harris applied several times to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/1890 National Scholars Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected 100 students for this year’s USDA/1890 National Scholars Program out of a record number of applications received through the new online application process. The new online portal is part of USDA’s efforts to improve accessibility to USDA programs, increase equity and inclusion, and build the USDA workforce.

Allison Malone grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. When she left her childhood home to attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a historically Black university, her goal was to pursue a career in agricultural engineering. Through perseverance and with financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) / 1890 National Scholars Program, Allison became the first student to complete the School of Agricultural Engineering program, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Spring of 2022.

We recently observed the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. I feel that USDA’s Risk Management Agency helps to advance the dream of Dr. King in our support of the 1890 National Scholars Program, and the Risk Management Education Program, among other initiatives.