Meikah Dado, a student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison finished in the top 4 of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Virtual Collegiate Discussion Meet. Other finalists included, Sarah Byrd, Mississippi; Marisa Phelps, Tennessee; and the Collegiate Discussion Meet winner Grace Hasler from Indiana.
Dado will graduate this month with a degree in Dairy Science and Life Sciences Communication. She plans to attend Texas A&M University in the fall to start her Masters of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication.
“It was an honor to represent Wisconsin in the Collegiate Discussion Meet,” Dado said. “Throughout the competition, I was able to expand my agricultural knowledge by researching topics and listening to stories of fellow agriculturists from all different parts of the country. I am very grateful for this experience.”
The Collegiate Discussion Meet, conducted using web conferencing this year, is designed to replicate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each collegiate participant. Participants are judged on their ability to exchange ideas and information on an agricultural topic and find answers or solutions related to it.
Dado qualified for the national competition upon winning the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet. All competitors received a $150 scholarship courtesy of CHS Foundation, in recognition of their efforts and making it to the national level. Students advancing to the “Sweet 16” round received an additional $225 scholarship. As a finalist, Dado received an additional $1,500.
The YF&R program includes men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. The program’s goals are to help younger Farm Bureau members learn more about agriculture, network with other farmers and realize their full potential as leaders in agriculture and Farm Bureau.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing farms of all sizes, commodities and management styles. Wisconsin has Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls.
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