"[I]f you are prepared to be broad and creative and global in your thinking, you should have a very productive and rewarding career indeed.” -Clayton Yeutter
Yeutter Student Fellows is a professional development program for students who are seeking a margin of excellence in their career preparation. Through a competitive process, four students are selected each year based on their curiosity, motivation, resourcefulness, and interest in international trade. The 2024-2025 cohort consists of Zanib Al Razaq, Alexis Bodlak, Matthew Gillespie, and Ethan Zen.
Each spring semester, the students complete a professional deliverable addressing a real-world challenge for our corporate partner, Valmont.
This year, for the first time, the Yeutter Institute teamed up with the University of Nebraska’s Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute to provide the fellows with a spring break trip to Ghana. The students gained on-the-ground insight into the research project alongside DWFI experts and enriched their personal and professional development.
The week-long expedition included meetings with agricultural stakeholders, including farmers, government agencies, ag-tech companies, and water management researchers. The students will combine the knowledge gained on the trip with further research to complete their research project for Valmont in May of 2025
"Aside from the endless pictures of food, some of my favorite moments to capture were with the other fellows and Cheyenne." - Zanib
"I was very excited to travel to Ghana and that excitement certainly did not subside when we arrived. When I arrive to a new country, I pay attention to different things. In Ghana, it was people carrying things on their heads, the traffic which had a chaotic order to it, and the friendliness of the Ghanaian people." - Matthew
"Arriving in Ghana felt like a breath of relief."
"The first thing I noticed was how crowded the roads are, traffic congestion was abundant in all directions but that did not bother me, I was simply excited to look out the window and take in my first moments in this new continent..." - Ethan
"I felt like I was welcomed home."
"Arriving to Ghana felt like running through the rope at a finish line as we endured a strenuous day-long journey that spanned through time zones.
After navigating out of the airport, I was instantly hit with a wave of heat and humidity that brushed over my body. It reminded me a lot of Malaysia as the weather is similar, in a unique way, I felt like I was welcomed home." - Ethan
"—Farmers swapping stories reminded me of small-town Nebraska."
"What impacted me most while traveling through Ghana was how deeply familiar the rural communities felt, even though the language, culture and daily rhythms were so different from my own. The small scenes of daily life like neighbors gathering and farmers swapping stories reminded me of small-town Nebraska." -Alexis
"Every day, my personal goal was to stay present and make the most of it. I took detailed notes, asked intentional questions, and made a point to leave a good impression on the people we met. I believe small moments of kindness and curiosity can help break down potential implicit biases - and I wanted to embody that." - Zanib
"I came away from this trip feeling more grounded, more educated, and more human."
"Whether it was fishermen trading jokes by their boats in Elmina or women working side by side in open-air markets, I witnessed joy that came not from material wealth but from relationship. One fisherman said something that has stayed with me: 'You may have more in America, but we are happier here.' And I believed him. The joy I saw in the faces of children and in the laughter of elders was born from shared life, not possessions." — Alexis
"Elmina is a densely populated fishing village that houses two former slave castles. Even with such a dark reminder of their past looming over them, it is a town full of vitality and positivity...
[...]The most significant part of this excursion was when our tour guide stopped by a dock of fishing boats, where he proudly stated: 'We may not be rich, but we are happy!'" —Ethan
"One of the most impactful experiences was learning about the transatlantic slave trade and visiting the castles. It’s one thing to read about it in a textbook but to stand in those spaces and hear the stories firsthand was something else entirely. I came away from this trip feeling more grounded, more educated, and more human." - Zanib
"Traveling through Ghana felt like stepping into a completely different world."
"My goal throughout the trip wasn't specific. My goal was to make the best of this opportunity in whichever ways I could. I knew some moments I would be tired, even exhausted. But I understood how important it was for my personal and professional development to engage as much as possible. To ask questions when they came to mind, to laugh with my colleagues, to take good notes and to think about what I saw." - Matthew
"Ghana greets you with an intimate sense of community."
"Over the course of this trip, I’ve developed so much love and appreciation for them. Each of their unique personalities added something special, and I genuinely don’t think the experience would’ve been the same without all four of them." - Zanib
"In Ghana, farmers sat together under the shade of trees to talk, laugh, and share stories, just like the farmers back home who gather every morning at the gas station over coffee. I was struck by the quiet truth that people are the same everywhere: across continents and circumstances, we all crave connection, community and belonging." — Alexis
"My personal objective was to fully immerse myself in the culture. I had to isolate from past experiences, and instead, focus on absorbing new sights with childlike wonder...Regardless of where you might be, Ghana greets you with an intimate sense of community." — Ethan
"On the bumpy roads, people crammed in 'tro-tros', colorful but faded shared taxis that serve as the dominant form of local transport. Each van was filled to the brim, with their drivers leaning out the window shouting directions in a concoction of languages, usually, English and Twi. On the inside, strangers became temporary neighbours, with shoulders pressed against each other, unfazed by the cramped conditions. While the vehicles carried on their path, pedestrians weaved nimbly in between the intense traffic, even those who carried large rattan buckets full of merchandise on top of their heads walked as if the stretch was clear. This contrasts to what I had seen in large cities, where crowds would only breed tension. For me, it was a metaphor that describes the social harmony in Ghana. It takes a level of trust, respect, and unity for tranquility to exist amidst the chaos of their daily lives." —Ethan
"Ghana reminded me that while the problems may be big, the answers often begin small...
...in conversation, in community, in choosing to see and value the people in front of us. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing we can do is simply show up, listen, and remember that joy, strength, and dignity already exist in the people we meet." �� Alexis
"While the week wasn't without obstacles, I learned so much about Ghanaian irrigated agriculture, engaged a ton with the experts I traveled with, and grew professionally and close personally with my cohort of student fellows." - Matthew
"I had grown attached to this country and the beautiful charms it offers, even more so I thoroughly enjoyed working with our team of 9 in this mission to find the viability of center pivot irrigation." - Ethan
"Hearing everyone’s perspectives helped me develop new perspectives...This experience has truly opened my eyes to how exciting and impactful research can be...It’s also deepened my interest in potentially pursuing graduate school in the future." - Zanib
Credits:
Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance Daughtery Water For Food