By Katrina Hageman
In moments of panic, Emma Davidson learned that asking for help isn’t a weakness but a key to success.
Davidson, a senior in agronomy and seed science, exemplified resilience and courage when unexpectedly stepping into a leadership role at the Iowa State University Seed Science Center. Her critical action of noticing her supervisor’s absence led to a lifesaving wellness check at his home.
During her supervisor’s recovery, Davidson and a fellow student employee managed day-to-day operations to keep the center available for research, teaching and outreach activities.
“As an independent person, I had to be OK with asking for help, especially when leading tours and translating instructions to people, even when I was learning alongside them,” Davidson said. “I had to accept that I was not prepared and remind myself that the only way to learn is to do, and with teamwork, we would get through it.”
Davidson has been recognized by many for her character and service during her journey at Iowa State.
“Emma has very high standards for herself and encourages other students to do the same in a way that is kind and supportive,” said Mindy DeVries, professor of agronomy and crops judging coach. “She really cares about people, and it shows in her interactions with her peers and students in class.”
With a lifelong passion for agronomy and returning to the family farm, Davidson always knew she wanted to attend Iowa State.
She is involved in the Agronomy Club and has served as vice president and recording secretary. She has attended multiple Students of Agronomy, Soil and Environmental Sciences (SASES) conferences, while competing in the crops judging contest and presenting a poster that won first place in her division.
Through SASES, she got highly involved in the Iowa State Crops Team. While competing in the 2024 National Collegiate Crops Contests, she placed third and fourth individually and was the top member of Iowa State’s team, which placed second overall. These successes led her to earn an all-American status.
In 2025, Davidson served as the teaching assistant for AGRON 3310 and helped coach the crops judging team.
“Students come to her with questions knowing she will empathize, meet them where they are and help answer their questions,” DeVries said. “She notices the little things, and sometimes that makes all the difference for someone.”
During her summers, Davidson has worked at Nexus Cooperative as a crop scout and at the Iowa State Seed Lab as a seed conditioning technician. She said these experiences helped her gain new skills to bring back to the family farm after graduation.
“Iowa State has given me the resources to build a strong foundation to work from,” Davidson said. “I have gained an amazing network of people that I may not see frequently after graduation, but that I will cross paths with in the future.”