During the three-day meeting, students from 41 universities across the nation had the opportunity to learn about the Latino role in the agricultural industry and speak with leading institution and company representatives from around the world, program officials said.

Texas Tech students attending the conference included:

• Derek Correa, an agricultural education major from Lyford
• Donna Balderas, an animal science major from Balmorhei
• Karina Quezada, an agricultural education major from Houston
• Chamonix Mejia, an agricultural communications major from Laredo
• Aracely Torrones, a natural resource management major from Corpus Christi
• Katherine Torres, an agricultural education major from Sharyland
• Donny Guerra, a landscape architecture major from San Diego
• Joseph Sahhene, an animal science major from San Antonio
• Silvano Pena, an animal science major from Hebbronville
• Mariela Gonzalez, an animal science major from Corpus Christi

In addition, Correa served on student/professional panel at the national meeting. Program officials note that the Latinos in Agriculture Leaders Conference was designed to provide opportunities where industry, government, and educational entities have the chance to meet and discuss the transformation of the Latino agricultural workforce of the future. In doing so, it outlined a series of goals to establish the structure of the conference.

These goals included exploring best practices in recruiting Latino/Hispanic talent in agriculture and related fields; seeking opportunities to partner with other stakeholders to build synergy and scalability in their programs; and learn information about the diverse Latino/Hispanic culture in the United States and how to reach them.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population is projected to grow significantly over the next 10 years and into the future. In just three decades, Hispanics are projected to reach 73 million or about 20.1 percent of the entire U.S. population. By 2050, Hispanics will account for over 30 percent of the total population in the United States.

However, based on 2008 data from the Food and Agricultural Education Information System, enrollment data for minorities was alarming. There were a total of 251,422 students enrolled in agricultural related fields with minority students constituting a small percentage. Overall enrollment for Hispanics was 4.5 percent or 11,353 students.

CONTACT: Michael Galyean, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or michael.galyean@ttu.edu

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