West Texas A&M University’s Agronomy Club is entering 2023 as the top club in the country.
Dayson Schacher of Nazareth is a member of the WT club The club recently won National Club of the Year after entering the President’s Trophy competition at the Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences national meeting in Baltimore, thanks in large part to its inclusivity efforts.
The WT club’s triumph is the first time a Division II school has won the title in the 16-year history of the contest, said Lauren Selph, instructor of plant, soil and environmental sciences in the Department of Agricultural Sciences.
“Being named National SASES Club of the year is a major accomplishment,” Selph said. “This award recognizes the hard work and commitment to excellence shared by the members of the WT Agronomy Club. I could not be prouder of these exceptional students.”
Dr. Kevin Pond, dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, called the honor “a very prestigious award for an outstanding club.”
“We are extremely proud of the student members and leadership of the club who are hard driving and success oriented,” Pond said. “Their next goal is to develop an accessible greenhouse complex for teaching, research and service. We are indeed pleased to have individuals who excel on a national platform and have the vision and persistence to make needed improvements.”
To earn the President’s Trophy and win National Club of the Year, agronomy teams must demonstrate their success in community service, programming and fundraising. The WT Agronomy Club highlighted their work in becoming more inclusive of differently abled individuals by working to create equal opportunities and minimizing added obstacles. They were inspired by the work of club member and inclusivity advocate Bentli Veneklasen, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Amarillo.
“I’m paralyzed and a fulltime wheelchair user, so I’m very passionate about advocating for my disabled community,”
Veneklasen said.
The club worked together to raise funds to buy a Spartan Wheel Chariot, an allterrain wheelchair that allowed Veneklasen to access soil pits so she could study alongside her classmates in soil morphology.
“We were up against institutions like Texas A&M University, the University of Wisconsin and others— well-known and well-established clubs that have been competing for years. It’s an honor to win this over much larger universities,” said Lain Thornton, who served as president of the Agronomy Club in 2022.
The club also was recognized for facilitating guest speakers, volunteering at the Women in Science Endeavors conference and more. The conference was held in November, recognizing work throughout the calendar year.
Members of the team included Lain Thornton, a December graduate from Jenks, Oklahoma, who now works as a natural resource specialist for the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in Dumas. and Bentli Veneklasen, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Amarillo, Dayson Schacher, a sophomore plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Nazareth.
Additionally, team members included Cade Bednarz, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Lubbock; Cristian Camacho, a sophomore plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Booker; Alex Kuehler, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Groom; Kassidy Langley, a junior agriculture major from Hico; Caleb McCall, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Moriarty, New Mexico; Thomas Meyer, a sophomore plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Dalhart; and Andres Rivas, a senior plant, soil and environmental sciences major from Perryton.
At the conference, the club also won first place in the poster contest and second in crops judging. McCall won third place in crops judging, and Bednarz won fifth in pedology and ninth in crops judging.