STATE QUEEN & INTERNATIONAL LEADER: ABIGAIL TURNER LEADS 2023 GLOBAL YOUTH INSTITUTE Written by Blake Van Der Kamp
From winning Miss Capital City 2024 to putting on, arguably, one of the highest-regarded youth conferences in the world, Abigail Turner leads the charge. Winning her title on October 22, just one day before the World Food Prize Foundation’s Global Youth Institute, Turner shows society how individuals can pursue all their passions from crowns to farm ground. Born in rural Missouri, Abigail (Abby) was an agriculturalist from the start. Supported by her parents, she embraced every opportunity from 4H to FFA to pageantry. This extracurricular involvement also served as a launch pad for Turner’s long-standing passion for traveling the globe. Through organizations like the National FFA, she ventured across Missouri and United States in high school. Thus, when it came time to pick a college, Abby made a decision that would satisfy her love for agriculture, FFA and travel. Starting college in 2017, she chose to attend the University of Missouri for a bachelor’s in agriculture education. Initially, Turner kept most of her adventures within the state as she served in one of her first state-level positions: state vice president for the Missouri FFA Association.
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Following her year of service, she still was hungry to learn about the world, meet people, and engage in leadership. This led Abigail to spend the rest of her collegiate career diving into academic and professional experiences. Throughout the next several years, she
Headshot of Program Coordinator, Abby Turner at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Hall of Lauretes. Photo courtesy of the World Food Prize Foundation.
worked in Washington, D.C. as Constituent Relations Intern and Lavender Production Intern in France. She also studied abroad in France, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. However, as graduation approached, she began her search for an opportunity that would combine her passions once again. Unfortunately, Abby struggled to find something that fit the bill until, serendipitously, a vacancy arose at the World Food Prize Foundation. Having interacted with the organization previously,
she was familiar with their work related to agricultural innovation, food security and youth empowerment. Thus, she decided to apply. In February 2022, Abby joined the World Food Prize Foundation. In an interview Turner, she said, “I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to join the World Food Prize Foundation. Witnessing the wide impact of the programs, I am excited to contribute to the mission and values of the organization as well as the youth teams.” As Abigail was onboarded and society transitioned into post-pandemic life, her team began preparing for the return of the Global Youth Institute (GYI). Last held in 2019, GYI has served as an experience for youth to enhance their leadership and be part of cultivating global change. At the conference, over 150 students interact with international leaders, network with peers, and attend the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. For admittance to GYI, students must first attend a state or regional institute where they submit a research paper proposing a solution. They then engage in roundtable-style conversations discussing how to elevate youth solutions. Based on papers