Meet the Global Staff: Spotlight on Madison Husmann

Do you know that the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) has a number of globally-focused staff members and student staff that advance our triparite mission? In this series, we'll be introducing you to these individuals and exploring how they engage with and support the students, faculty, staff and partners in IANR. The next in this series is Madison Husmann, a fisheries and wildlife major who is serving in her first semster as a CASNR Global Ambassador. 

My name is Madison, and I'm a first-generation student here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I’m originally from a village outside of Columbus, Nebraska called Duncan and currently study Fisheries and Wildlife and Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Conservation Biology. Coming into college as a First-Generation student, I have been incredibly grateful to find a community within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) and hope to promote the same resources I have discovered to other students by working in the Global Learning Hub.

I have been inspired about the world and traveling since I was young, but I remember the first time I truly became interested in global engagement. It began when I was 16 years old and I learned about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. I had filled out all the paperwork, interviewed, and weeks later learned that I was accepted. The opportunity to be an Ambassador for the United States as an exchange student to Brazil from 2017-2018 was unforgettable. I spent an entire year living with host families and became devoted to learning another language and a new way of life. This allowed me to become bilingual with verbal and written skills in Portuguese. Not only did I become bilingual with a second language, I also created a second home and gained a second family. I learned more about myself that year than I thought I had my entire life before that. My time there will live with me forever and I’m incredibly grateful for the experience and knowledge I gained while studying abroad.

This opportunity is exactly why I believe global learning is so important. Global learning allows students to see and explore the world as well as helping them recognize and think critically about different perspectives. My current position as a Global Ambassador for the IANR Global Learning Hub interested me because of the opportunity to foster global communities and serve the value of global learning. With my experience of studying abroad, I understand the importance of meeting people, sharing our cultures, and learning from one another. My position has been such an amazing experience so far serving as a Global Ambassador and I can’t wait to continue making this space as welcoming and inclusive for all our students. 

Stay tuned for our next feature on Madison Husmann, also a CASNR Global Ambassador.