Stella Esenam Ruber

At the University of Florida, Stella completed her third-year internship at the Department of Entomology and Nematology in the Fruit and Vegetable Laboratory. The laboratory dealt with research involving pesticides, integrated pest management, and insect pest identification, among other topics. There, Stella was able to further her interest in entomology while also collaborating with members of a top-ranking university in the field. Her internship objectives included acquiring knowledge on IPM and biological control, evaluating the effect of the southern red mite on the production of southern highbush blueberries, and conducting lab experiments to control this pest population. “It was an interesting moment for me as it was the first time I got to do such a project,” she reflects. “I challenged myself and the results were great. I learned new things, achieved the goal, and I also met new people and made connections.” Overall, the internship helped Stella draw significant conclusions in IPM, and she hopes to expand her investigations to see if her research has large-scale implications in this field.

At EARTH University, Stella is presently leading work experience in the community sector. Her job is to educate and inform farmers on pest control measures while learning about their production, specifically the production of vanilla. Throughout this process, she was able to create videos of compost preparations, organic insecticides, and natural fertilizers to make this information readily and digitally accessible to those who need it. For Stella, the most important thing that EARTH has taught her is how to manage her time and make good use of it. “EARTH has changed me a lot,” she says. “It has made me become a better person. It has made me more confident, punctual, and resilient.” She has made many happy memories at EARTH: spending afternoons with her friends, becoming fluent in a new language, and interacting with people of different cultures are just a few of her favorite experiences here. She will always remember the feeling of driving a tractor and seeing tropical fruits for the first time. These are memories she will cherish as she graduates and returns home to Ghana.

Recently, Stella was accepted into the Mastercard Fellowship Program, an opportunity that will allow her to go back to Ghana to connect and network with fellow farmers. She intends on building her own brand or company through which she can work with her community and better understand their needs. “I want to connect with, learn from, and assist my people by being there myself,” she says. “I want to share the knowledge that I’ve gained at EARTH.” After the fellowship, Stella wants to pursue a master’s in entomology with a specialization in biological control within integrated pest management, which will build on the skills she acquired during her internship. Combining her love for agribusiness with her interest in entomology, she hopes to start a business creating products, such as biological controls, for pest management. Her master’s degree would help her market and share these products with fellow small-scale farmers to increase their crop production. Stella also wants to give back to her community in other ways. She plans on expanding and sharing the results of her research with rural farmers, and also help them cut costs by repurposing waste as compost. “I want to have a bigger impact,” she says.

The Mastercard Scholarship has opened up a vast array of opportunities for Stella. She feels extremely grateful for their sponsorship and support over the past four years. “I feel so happy and so excited to be part of this because I know I wouldn’t be here if Mastercard wasn’t in the picture to support my education,” she says.