Six agriculture students traveled to Kansas City for the National Agri-Marketing Association’s annual conference.
In April, six Sam Houston State agriculture students flew to Kansas City for the National Agri-Marketing Association’s (NAMA) annual conference. There, they competed in a competition in which they presented an agricultural product concept to a panel of judges.
NAMA is a premiere national agri-marketing group that further students’ education, leadership training and professional networking. At the national conference, teams from around the country participate in a competition in which they pitch an agricultural product concept to industry professionals.
This year’s team of SHSU students presented the concept of a cleaning product called Magnolia Maid, made with ethanol extracted from corn tainted with dangerous levels of aflatoxin that would otherwise be discarded.
Elliot White, a senior at SHSU and president of NAMA, has been a part of the organization since her freshman year. White’s experience in NAMA has developed her leadership skills, public speaking abilities and expanded her knowledge on marketing as a whole.
“It’s really fun to see the creativity that different students bring to the program and watching the product and the team come together,” White said, adding that her time in NAMA has furthered her industry connections and allowed her to form relationships with not only her team, but students and advisors from around the country.
Alumna Taylor Watz is a former member of NAMA and currently serves as a marketing and social media manager for a floral shop. During her first year, SHSU’s NAMA team consisted of only three students. From there, Taylor watched the team develop and change into what it is today.
“I love the freedom and that we could do whatever we wanted [with the product concept],” Watz said. “It really got me to think outside of the box and allowed me to make friends with interesting people. It opened a lot of doors.”
In addition to appealing to SHSU students interested in marketing and agriculture, NAMA also offers opportunities for course credit. Follow @shsunama on Instagram to learn more.