08/20/2026
AFA Student Leader Molly Dillingham is spending her summer exploring how research can help strengthen agriculture.
Molly, an agroecology: research and production major at North Carolina State University, is completing a REEU SIPP Research Fellowship with NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Through this experience, she is gaining a deeper look at agricultural research and how it can help farmers find solutions.
For Molly, one of the most meaningful parts of her fellowship has been an extension trip to France. While there, she learned from French farmers, explored drainage and irrigation systems and compared agricultural practices and perspectives between France and the U.S.
This experience has helped Molly confirm her interest in research and its role in supporting farmers and strengthening the future of agriculture. She is also learning the patience research requires, especially when experiments do not go right the first time.
AFA helped Molly step into this opportunity with skills in relationship development and interpersonal IQ. Those competencies helped her connect with French farmers and students while abroad, build meaningful relationships and learn across cultures.
We’re proud to see students like Molly use their AFA experience to expand their perspective, build global connections and explore career pathways that support the future of agriculture.
