At Barry University, learning goes beyond the classroom. Through a learn by doing approach, students are encouraged to engage in hands-on, real-world experiences that prepare them to lead, serve, and succeed. That philosophy came to life for Barry University students Romina O’Brien and Jenny Yu, third-year Biology majors and CRAFT Scholarship recipients, as they traveled with Dr. Leticia Vega to ASU’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems in Tempe, AZ to attend the second annual Model USDA Conference.

Model USDA is a multi-day simulation that places students inside the policymaking environment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its federal partners. It allows participants to learn policy through active participation rather than lectures or debates.

Romina and Jenny participated in the “Growing Urban Agriculture” scenario, addressing the question: “What should USDA do to build a more diverse urban agriculture landscape?” Their roles reflected real-world leadership positions: Romina as Executive Director of NY Sun Works and Jenny as Director of the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute. Both drew on their experience working with the UGW farm during their first year at Barry to inform their policy recommendations and collaborative approach.

Model USDA gives students like Romina and Jenny an invaluable perspective on policymaking, helping them understand how institutional roles, authority versus influence, and evidence-based decision-making affect outcomes.

Barry University is always proud to provide opportunities like this for their students where essential skills are put into practice and ensure that students are career ready.  

This project is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, NEXTGEN Program, award 2023-70440-40161USDA.