Long before Ana Maria Heilman-Morales became the chair of the Borlaug Scholarship program, she was a young scientist standing in a crowded conference room wondering if she belonged.
She still remembers meeting one of her mentors for the first time. Thousands of people surrounded them at a professional meeting, but what stood out wasn’t his credentials or accomplishments. It was kindness.
“I was scared,” she says. “The way he received me was with kindness. There was no pretension in him. There was nothing that gave me anxiety.”
That encounter helped alter the trajectory of her career. After talking with Heilman-Morales about her experience in tissue culture, he invited her to dinner with other scientists. Many of the people she met that evening would later become close colleagues and friends, and he eventually introduced her to some of the top scientists in the field.
“He saw that I had the potential for something,” she says. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I was going to end up in one of the biggest companies in the world.”
What Makes a Future Leader?
Today, Heilman-Morales is committed to creating those same opportunities for the next generation.
As incoming National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) Borlaug Scholarship chair and director of Agricultural Data Analytics at North Dakota State University, she says technical excellence alone isn’t enough when identifying future leaders.
“We look for individuals that are not only technically the best of the best, but we are also looking for people who are good servants and have opportunities to serve as leaders in their communities,” she says.
The scholarship committee evaluates applicants across multiple categories, but Heilman-Morales believes the qualities Norman Borlaug represented extend well beyond scientific ability. Her own mentor reinforced four lessons she continues to carry with her: resiliency, humility, service and giving back to others.
“I learned the importance of being not only technically sound, but giving forward to our community,” she says.
A Reason to Stay in Public Breeding
Those values become especially important during periods of uncertainty. Public plant breeding programs continue to face funding challenges, causing some young scientists to question whether the career path is sustainable.
Heilman-Morales encourages them not to allow the current environment to determine their future.
“I would say not to feel stress about the current situation and funding,” she says. “Make a community, serve others and be bold and courageous.”
She also reminds students that public breeding remains indispensable, particularly for crops that may not attract significant private-sector investment.
“It is important to preserve our resources, especially for crops that are not managed by the private industry,” she says.
When asked what one word Norman Borlaug himself might use if he saw plant breeding in 2026, Heilman-Morales offered a simple answer: “Serve.”
For her, that’s more than a word. It’s a model for how the next generation of plant breeders can lead.
