UNL Students Shine At AFA

By Scout Nelson

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln earned a top national ranking at the 2025 Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Leaders Conference, held November 6–8 in Kansas City, Missouri. Thirty-seven students from UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources were selected to attend, placing the university fifth out of 108 participating institutions. This strong showing highlights UNL’s ongoing commitment to developing leadership in agricultural students.

The AFA Leaders Conference is a four-day professional development event that helps college students strengthen leadership and career skills. Delegates take part in workshops centered on six key competency areas: relationship development, collaboration, career management, cultural emotional intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and systems thinking. Students also meet industry professionals, explore internships and job opportunities, and learn about graduate programs connected to agriculture and related fields.

Two UNL students also served in national leadership roles at this year’s event. One student served on the 2025 AFA Student Advisory Team, helping guide programming and delegate engagement. Another student represented UNL as a 2025 AFA Ambassador, supporting conference activities at the national level.

Supporting the group was CASNR’s AFA Champion, Meg Klosterman Kester, strategic initiatives and alumni engagement, who helps students apply and encourages participation across the college. She noted the value of this experience, saying, “The AFA Leaders Conference provides an unmatched opportunity for students to develop leadership capabilities and connect with peers and industry professionals. It’s exciting to see 37 of our students earn a spot through this competitive process.”

All students were accepted through AFA’s national review process, making participation highly competitive. UNL’s impressive number of delegates and its top five national rankings show strong engagement, academic excellence, and the university’s active role in agricultural leadership development.

More details about the conference can be found at agfuture.org/experiences/leaders-conference/overview.

Photo Credit: agriculture-future-of-america