Stoesser Scholar in Washington, D.C. by Lance Nicholas

February 17, 2023
Lance Nicholas, 2022 Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship recipient, shares highlights from his visit to Washington, D.C. with USRPA as part of his scholarship prize.
As the recipient of the Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship, I had no idea how many doors this would open for me. I thought I was getting money to go to college but little did I know there was a new world at my feet. I am not a rice farmer. I am a rice advocate, and this is mainly due to the numerous amounts of opportunities USRPA has given to me. As an undergraduate at Texas Tech University studying agricultural education, I cannot say I am as surrounded by the rice industry as I was back home in Katy, Texas. The second I walk off campus, I see endless cotton fields and numerous cattle operations. However, I often find myself advocating for the U.S. rice industry whenever I find the opportunity when I am away from home. I do not do this strictly because of the scholarship. I do this because I believe rice is the sole crop essential in every country across the globe. Going to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the industry has left me with countless feelings of emotion, a new way to network, and very beneficial experiences.

When I found out that I was going to go on this trip, I was scared. I had zero ideas what I was getting myself into. I am just a college student; how could I make a change by talking to these important people? This was something that I had to step out of my comfort zone for. I remember driving to the hotel, passing through all the landmarks, and being overwhelmed by the fact that I was there. As the week progressed, all the emotions of fear started to fade. By the end of the trip, I felt confident in my ability to bring change to the industry. The various USRPA members that attended helped me think I played a valuable role in this trip. Galen Franz, a rice farmer in Victoria, TX, was a great individual I interacted this week. Whether we were having a simple conversation or riding Lime scooters through the city, he made me feel that my voice had value. More importantly, interacting with him made me understand that the only difference between the other members was that I was not a rice farmer. We were all there with the same mission, and knowing this helped me feel confident in my abilities throughout the week. While the beginning of the week was stressful, by the end, all of those bad feelings left and brought in feelings of confidence, happiness, and contentment. I felt good knowing I was helping advocate for rice farmers in America.        
  
During this week, I got to network with some significant people. In addition, I got to understand the value of networking throughout this visit. Overall, I was glad I got to network with Vernie Hubert and Maggie Linden, from Cornerstone that worked with us throughout the week. I remember Tommy Turner, President of the Texas Rice Council, telling me to connect with Mr. Hubert as much as I could this week. In turn, that is precisely what I tried to do. By having beneficial conversations with him and asking him numerous questions, I felt that I was able to build a good relationship with him. Networking has always been important to me, but this trip brought me a new value behind the principle. Even outside the Cornerstone office, I found myself having meaningful conversations with people who worked on capital hill, whether it was legislative assistants or members of Congress themselves. I seek out those opportunities to build a connection with someone new because I never know when I will have the chance to meet these individuals again. Overall, speaking face-to-face with these individuals was a great experience, but it felt more meaningful for me to build a connection with them to network with a greater purpose.           

This was by far the best experience I could ever have asked for. I always knew that I wanted to go into teaching agricultural science, but this trip has made me rethink my future career. After talking to Dennis DeLaughter, a retired rice farmer, he made me realize that this is a unique experience most people do not get to have. I got to see American politics in a new light and from an entirely different viewpoint. I got to participate in meetings I never saw myself sitting in. I can take this chapter and put it into action as I begin a professional career. This brought up much reflection for me to understand what I could do. While my desired career is surrounded by agriculture, I could see myself taking what I learned and potentially going into agricultural policy, lobbying, or even working on a congressional or senate staff team. I can’t know what my future holds, but the experiences I got to have through these interactions will have me considering different options.

I owe plenty of thanks to USRPA for this opportunity to advocate on the federal level. They are working towards the future of the U.S. rice industry and agriculture as a whole. By supporting college students, they are empowering them to be a part of some great things. This is only the beginning. To think about how many students they will impact makes me feel comfortable knowing that they are building the industry's future. This trip is something that I will take for granted. It would be foolish not to implement what I learned at the end of my life. USRPA is constantly pouring into today’s youth in the hopes of better-preparing students for a better future in agriculture.

We look forward to Lance sharing more in future editions of The Rice Advocate as part of our new "Agriculture Tomorrow" series!
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