> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://news.cibocom.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Youth Programs Ignite Student’s Passion for Plant Biology and Global Food Security - URL: https://news.cibocom.com/youth-programs-ignite-students-passion-for-plant-biology-and-global-food-security/ - Published: 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-01T19:53:02.000Z - Author: Cibocom - Tags: Featured [Students](https://cals.ncsu.edu/news/category/life-at-cals/students/?ref=news.cibocom.com) *Summer outreach programs and a youth institute inspired a high schooler to explore plant biology, take part in an international agricultural research internship and enroll at NC State, where he’s helping address agricultural challenges and world hunger.* Michael Schruckmayr’s path to plant science began in his grandmother’s garden and among the mountain trails of western North Carolina. Nurtured by youth outreach programs offered through [NC State University](https://www.ncsu.edu/?ref=news.cibocom.com)’s [College of Agriculture and Life Sciences](https://www.cals.ncsu.edu/?ref=news.cibocom.com) (CALS), that interest blossomed into a passion for plant science and a drive to solve issues in food, farming and nutrition. As a [first-year life sciences student](https://catalog.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/sciences/life-sciences-first-year/?ref=news.cibocom.com) at NC State, Schruckmayr is focusing on addressing plant-related challenges through research. His participation in two CALS summer programs and two years with the [North Carolina Youth Institute](https://ncyi.ncsu.edu/?ref=news.cibocom.com) broadened his knowledge of world hunger and motivated him to help find solutions. “There are so many people that are not receiving enough food, not receiving enough nutrients to live full, happy lives,” he says. “I discovered that I like the idea of crop improvement a lot — plant breeding and genetic modification to increase desired qualities in different crops — to reduce food insecurity and improve sustainable agriculture.” While Schruckmayr’s just begun his pursuit of two majors, [plant biology](https://cals.ncsu.edu/plant-and-microbial-biology/students/undergraduate/?ref=news.cibocom.com) and [horticultural science](https://cals.ncsu.edu/horticultural-science/students/undergraduate/?ref=news.cibocom.com) with a concentration in biotechnology and plant breeding, he’s already gained significant experience as an aspiring plant scientist. ## **Summer Outreach Programs Open Doors to Plant Sciences** and NC State Schruckmayr’s journey toward plant sciences started when he signed up for [NC State Extension](https://ces.ncsu.edu/?ref=news.cibocom.com)’s [Horticultural Science Summer Institute](https://precollege.ncsu.edu/horticultural-science-summer-institute/?ref=news.cibocom.com) after his freshman year of high school. Growing up in Arden, near Asheville, North Carolina, he loved plants but had few opportunities to study them formally. “Being from the mountains, I’d always liked being outside and hiking. I also liked being out in the garden with my grandma, and that led to an interest in plant biology,” he says. “My school didn’t offer horticulture or agriculture classes, so the horticulture camp was a chance to learn more.” The following summer, he participated in the Resource Conservation Workshop and later the North Carolina Youth Institute. A common thread throughout these experiences was [Liz Driscoll,](https://cals.ncsu.edu/horticultural-science/people/eadrisco/?ref=news.cibocom.com) a North Carolina [4-H ](https://nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu/?ref=news.cibocom.com)specialist in the departments of [Crop and Soil Sciences](https://cals.ncsu.edu/crop-and-soil-sciences/?ref=news.cibocom.com), [Entomology and Plant Pathology](https://cals.ncsu.edu/entomology-and-plant-pathology/?ref=news.cibocom.com), and [Horticultural Science](https://cals.ncsu.edu/horticultural-science/?ref=news.cibocom.com), as well as an affiliate of the [N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative](https://www.cals.ncsu.edu/psi?ref=news.cibocom.com). Driscoll sees pre-college programs as key entry points into agricultural careers. > Seeing everything the university offers through CALS and the Plant Sciences Initiative inspired me to attend NC State and pursue a career in this field. “They give young people a chance to discover and formalize their interests, build relationships with mentors and see the many ways they can turn their curiosity into a future,” Driscoll says. “Our goal is to create a pathway of experiences that helps youth move towards ‘I can see myself doing this.’” The experiences raised Schruckmayr’s awareness of opportunities at NC State and in plant science-related careers. “Ms. Driscoll was wonderful. Seeing everything the university offers through CALS and the Plant Sciences Initiative inspired me to attend NC State and pursue a career in this field,” he says. ## **Institute Highlights Global Hunger Challenges** Schruckmayr’s participation in the North Carolina Youth Institute was particularly pivotal. > The Youth Institute really opened my eyes to how big of a problem hunger is in the world. Co-led by Driscoll and Sarah Dinger, N.C. PSI’s program manager for education and workforce development, the institute encourages high school students to research agricultural and food security challenges in other countries, write research papers and present their findings during a two-day campus event. Schruckmayr says this early exposure helped prepare him for his first year at NC State. “The Youth Institute really opened my eyes to how big of a problem hunger is in the world,” he notes. As part of his research, Schruckmayer wrote papers on rural development in Guyana and coffee leaf rust disease in Honduras. The program paired him with graduate student mentors Nick Loschin and Lindsay Dodson, who provided guidance on scientific writing and research methods — a highlight of the experience for Schruckmayr. ## **Seeing Crop Improvement as a Vital Solution** These experiences solidified his focus on crop improvement and helped him earn a Borlaug-Ruan International Internship from the World Food Prize Foundation. Eager to apply his Spanish language skills with his interest in agricultural research, Schruckmayr spent over seven weeks at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru, this summer between high school graduation and college. “Four weeks in, I felt completely immersed,” he says. “It was fun to have my ‘normal’ daily routine be in Lima.” Under the direction of agri-food researcher Gabriela Burgos, Schruckmayr gained hands-on laboratory experience performing rapid nutritional analyses to inform plant breeding decisions leading to varieties with superior traits. During his first four weeks at CIP, Michael worked in the sample preparation lab, washing, peeling, cutting, weighing, freeze-drying and powdering tuber samples. He then transitioned to the chemical analysis lab to run nutritional compound tests. His primary focus was evaluating iron-biofortified potatoes developed to reduce iron-deficiency anemia, which affects roughly 49% of children in Peru’s rural highlands. CIP’s specialized varieties contain 50% more iron than regular varieties, and Schruckmayr got to taste them firsthand: “Yeah,” he says, “they’re delicious.” He also wrote a report on non-heme iron absorption and stayed with a host family whose father leads CIP’s research informatics unit, focusing on increasing food security by promoting root and tuber diversity. ## **Expanding His Research Skills** Now a student at NC State, Schruckmayr is expanding his research skills in the Digital Agriculture Lab, working alongside one of his Youth Institute mentors. Schruckmayr’s strong work ethic, good communication skills and enthusiasm for research led graduate student Lindsay Dodson to recruit him to work on her research integrating precision agriculture tools for roadside wildflower seeding. “I’m so excited to have him working with me,” says Dodson, a graduate student in biological and agricultural engineering who took on the volunteer institute mentoring role because it aligns with her goal of becoming a lecturer or academic adviser. “Because I mentored Michael in his second year in the institute, he was actually helpful to me since it was my first year being involved.” When Schruckmayr reached out last summer for advice on lining up work experience in a research lab, Dodson passed along some tips. “Then right before the semester started, I realized that I needed some help with my research. Even though Michael’s not in my department, I reached out to him because it was valuable to me to have someone who is excited to do research and to learn,” she says. “He had all of those characteristics and is super driven, so he’s going to go a long way.” > “Right now, my goal is to dip my toes in as much research as possible.” Schruckmayr’s drive extends beyond the classroom and the laboratory. He serves as a group leader for the university’s Backpacking Club and is an active member of the Botany Club. He’s also been selected to be a North Carolina delegate to the World Prize Foundation’s Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa, later this month. Looking ahead, Schruckmayr plans to attend graduate school in crop improvement to help develop high-yielding crop varieties capable of supporting a growing world population on limited arable land. > I’m excited to see where my time at NC State takes me. “Right now, my goal is to dip my toes in as much research as possible, so trying different labs, seeing what I like best, staying curious and just finding what interests me in plant breeding or crop improvement research,” he says. “Also, there’s a study abroad program for summer research internships in other parts of the world. I’m hoping to apply for that as well. “Then eventually I’d like to go on to grad school in crop improvement hopefully. I’m excited to see where my time at NC State takes me.”