From Nursing Hopeful to Federal Conservationist, FAMU Alumna Finds Her Path in Agriculture
TALLAHASSEE—Jordyn Ash did not plan to study agriculture. She planned to be a nurse. Then, a campus tour changed everything.
Ash, a recent graduate of Florida A&M University's (FAMU) College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS), will report on Monday, July 27, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florence, South Carolina, where she will work as a soil conservationist. She will simultaneously pursue a master's degree in environmental epidemiology online through Georgia State University, beginning in August.
"I fell into it," Ash said of her path into agriculture. "I originally was admitted into FAMU in October 2021 as a nursing major."
That changed during a campus visit in the spring of her senior year of high school, when she met Kallie Donaldson, then a staff member in FAMU’s School of Nursing. Donaldson ultimately introduced Ash to the opportunities within agriculture, including financial support and career pathways available in the field.
"She urged me to keep my options open and suggested other opportunities for me in different avenues," Ash said. "Her words truly helped shape what I wanted to do in the future."
Before arriving on campus, Ash changed her major to plant and soil science. She also applied for and received the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program scholarship, a federal program that recruits students from Historically Black land-grant universities into careers in federal agriculture agencies.
"As an out-of-state student from Georgia, I was still looking at different avenues on the best way to financially support myself while getting a degree," Ash said. "That so happened to be the College of Agriculture and Food Science."
As a soil conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Ash will work with farmers, ranchers and landowners to assess whether proposed projects, such as fencing, well installation, or tree planting, could harm existing natural habitats. Her office conducts pre-surveys and post-surveys of each project to ensure compliance with USDA standards. Landowners who participate in NRCS programs receive a 50% reimbursement toward qualifying project costs.
"We protect and preserve natural resources that are nearby," Ash said. "If they wish to add anything onto their land, we would have to go out and survey it just to ensure what they want to do will not harm or derail any current natural resources or natural habitats that are present."
While at FAMU, Ash also completed a two-year USDA internship in Myrtle Beach, where she trained for her current role. She conducted field visits, learned to navigate rural terrain using paper maps, and familiarized herself with the agency's application management systems.
"It felt like a puzzle in a way, trying to figure out where to go," she said. "It was one that I really enjoyed."
In her new role, Ash also will coordinate with soil scientists from Clemson University, which serves as the USDA's land-grant partner in South Carolina. Clemson University handles soil sampling and testing, while NRCS conservationists guide landowners through the process. The offices are typically located in the same building to support collaboration.
Ash credits Edwin Duke, Ph.D., associate professor for FAMU CAFS, with sparking her academic curiosity across multiple courses.
"His classes were always captivating. They always left me curious and asking ‘why’," she said. "That was always my favorite question whenever I went into his class."
The desire to understand the "why" extends well beyond the classroom. Ash said her grandfather, a Bahamian American immigrant who later earned a degree from Southern Illinois University, instilled in her a deep appreciation for history, culture and representation. He wrote a book on their family heritage and its connections to African history and culture.
"He always instilled in me the importance of knowing our history and knowing where we came from so that we can know where we're going," Ash said. "That is not a hindrance. It should be seen as a superpower."
That perspective shapes her long-term goals. Ash wants to combine her background in plant and soil science with her graduate training in environmental epidemiology to address what she describes as environmental racism, including the underrepresentation of Black women and children in environmental health research and data.
"Many times you don't see Black women or Black children factored into those statistics and how it affects their health," she said. "I'm really passionate about bringing justice for environmental racism."
Ash also hopes her work will broaden public understanding of what the agricultural industry does and how it connects to everyday life, from the food people eat to the clothing they wear. She said she regularly volunteered at FAMU’s agroecology center's community garden and made a point of bringing friends and fellow students along.
"When people think of agriculture, they think of just crops or plants," she said. "But, the agriculture industry fuels the textile industry. It is a connector."
To incoming students considering agriculture or the natural sciences, Ash offered direct advice: stay open to possibilities and remain curious.
"Never put yourself in a box before you've actually had the opportunity to go out and explore," she said. "It is 100% okay to not know exactly what you want to do going into your degree program initially."
Media Contact
Rachel James-Terry
Senior Director of Strategic Communications
rachel.jamesterry@famu.edu
