Friday, May 7, 2021
CapitalPress.com 3
Ag Education
License to sell: Certifi cate helps
student land buyer position
By AMY CALABRETTA
Hanson Brudevold’s goal of becoming a
grain buyer has come to fruition, thanks in
part to a course at the University of Idaho.
The student from New Plymouth, Idaho,
will graduate this month with a degree in
agricultural economics: agribusiness empha-
sis and a certifi cate in agricultural commod-
ity risk management.
He credits an independent study course
for helping him land a position as grain orig-
inator for Northwest Grain Growers.
“First job out of college, I’m going to be
doing what I love to do,” Brudevold said.
Brudevold took an independent study
course with Andres Trujillo-Barrera, an
assistant professor, focused on preparing
Brudevold for the National Futures Associ-
ation (NFA) Series 3 exam.
The NFA Series 3 license is required
for fi nancial professionals who wish to sell
commodity futures and options. The exam is
typically taken after receiving a degree and
within the fi rst 60 days of employment. An
employee spends that time studying for the
exam and learning from seasoned brokers.
Brudevold passed the exam in January
2021, providing him with credentials before
graduation — credentials that his competi-
tion didn’t have. He was off ered the position
with Northwest Grain Growers shortly after.
“I believe I got the job because of the
license,” Brudevold said. “I was competing
against a lot of people with more work expe-
rience, but I brought in credentials that they
did not have.”
For Brudevold, the hardest part of
the exam was learning about diff erent
regulations.
“In every class, everyone learns futures
and options and how to calculate a basis,”
Brudevold said. “Going through the regula-
tions was the hardest part for me because it’s
not really hands-on math based. Regulations
is not usually something that’s taught in a
3 things students can do
now to prep for college
Oregon Goes to College
No matter what grade
students are in, there are
things they (and their edu-
cators and families) can
do to get ready for college.
U of I
Hanson Brudevold got his Series 3 li-
cense to buy and sell grain through a col-
lege class.
classroom setting.”
Even though Brudevold has accepted a
job off er, he is still receiving calls to inter-
view for positions. Years of uncertainty
in the market has resulted in a demand for
graduates with experience in agricultural
commodity risk management.
“That certifi cate is, in my opinion, like
gold,” Brudevold said. “The number of
places and doors that it will open for you is
remarkable.”
Brudevold began as an animal and vet-
erinary science student with the intention of
becoming a cattle or grain buyer. After tak-
ing an agricultural economics course from
Norm Ruhoff , director of the Agricultural
Commodity Risk Management program,
Brudevold knew he needed to make a switch
to achieve his goals. The hands-on aspects of
the certifi cate program allowed him to apply
what he was learning in the classroom.
College “has prepared me for my future
career in an immense amount of ways,”
Brudevold said. “We actually have hands-on
experiences. We’re not just taking notes and
not seeing it in use. And that’s, in my opin-
ion, the biggest thing we have. We’ll teach
you how to do it and then we’ll walk you
through it.”
Get organized. Prac-
tice good study habits,
use a planner or calen-
dar to keep track of dead-
lines and fi nd a system
that works for you to keep
papers organized.
1. Achieve
2. Engage
Do well in school.
Set goals, go to all your
classes, do your best to get
good grades, and get help
when needed.
Take the right classes.
Make sure you’re on track
to graduate and get into
college and challenge
yourself with honors or
advanced classes.
Get involved. Partici-
pate in school and commu-
nity activities including
clubs, sports, volunteering
or a part-time job.
Spend time with good
people. Choose to hang
out with friends that share
positive goals and inter-
ests and fi nd a mentor.
Make good choices. Be
safe online and on your
phone, avoid risky behav-
iors, and treat others with
respect.
3. Explore
Explore college and
career options. Make a
list of interests and pref-
erences and get to know
colleges.
Learn about paying for
college. Learn about the
costs of college and ways
to help pay for it. Set up
and regularly contrib-
ute to a college savings
account and make a list
and apply to any available
scholarships.
Michael Lewis/BYU-Idaho University Relations
Students test soils in a lab taught by Jared Williams in the Applied Plant Science
Department.
6 common myths about college Brigham Young University-Idaho
Don’t be fooled by
these common myths about
college:
Myth: College only
means a 4-year degree.
There are many types of
colleges and degrees — col-
lege is just a shorthand way
of saying education or train-
ing after high school. Certif-
icate and training programs
at community colleges and
trade schools can take less
than a year. Associate degree
programs usually take two
years. The common ele-
ment: learning and train-
ing keeps going after high
school.
Myth: College is
unaff ordable.
You can pay for college
— in fact, most students
don’t pay full price. Use a
Net Price Calculator to get
an estimate of what you will
actually pay, after including
some types of fi nancial aid.
Most students pay for
college in a variety of ways
including fi nancial aid,
earnings from part-time or
full-time jobs, savings and
money from parents and
family.
Myth: Planning for
college starts junior
year of high school.
It’s not too early to start
thinking about college and
career. Middle school is a
good time to begin explor-
ing options and practicing
positive habits — colleges
will be looking at classes
and grades as soon as stu-
dents start 9th grade. No
matter what grade you are
in, there are things you (and
your families) can do to get
ready for college.
Myth: You need to
know what you want to
study before you go to
college.
College is a time to
explore. The majority of stu-
dents end up changing their
major or program during
their college career. How-
ever, it’s still worthwhile to
explore interests and poten-
tial career fi elds while in
middle and high school.
Myth: College is
only for the smartest
students.
College is an option for
everyone. There are many
diff erent colleges and post-
secondary programs avail-
able. Some colleges require
specifi c classes or high
grades to be accepted, while
others have no require-
ments beyond graduating
from high school or earn-
ing a GED. The more chal-
lenging classes and the bet-
ter grades you get, the more
options you will have, plus
more scholarships available
to you.
off ers wide range of ag degrees
Brigham Young Univer-
sity-Idaho is a private uni-
versity located at Rexburg,
Idaho.
Founded in 1888, the
university is owned and
operated by The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
We off er many agri-
cultural degrees including
Agricultural Technology,
Agronomy, Crop and Soil
Science, and Horticulture.
We focus on applied
learning inside and outside
of the classroom with green-
houses, gardens, an orchard,
and farmland resources.
For more informa-
tion look to our website
at
https://www.byui.edu/
applied-plant-science/
or
call 208-496-1411.
Myth: There is one
perfect college for
everyone.
There are over 100 col-
leges, branch campuses and
centers in Oregon and over
4,000 colleges and univer-
sities across the U.S. so
you have many options for
schools that are a good fi t.
Consider a variety of char-
acteristics when exploring
colleges, especially focus-
ing on your academic, social
and fi nancial needs.
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university
located at Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the universi-
ty is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. 
We offer many agricultural degrees including Agricultural
Technology, Agronomy, Crop, & Soil Science, and Horti-
culture. We focus on applied learning inside and outside
of the classroom with greenhouses, gardens, an orchard,
and farmland resources. 
For more information, look to our website at 
www.byui.edu/applied-plant-science/ 
or call 208-496-1411.
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Always has been. Always will be.
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Oregon Goes to College