What do a teen carnivorous plant grower who cultivated thousands of the rare species on his family’s farm in Colombia, a Durham Tech student transfer in NC State’s Crop and Soil Sciences Department, and a Chancellor’s Scholarship recipient who created drone videos in Costa Rica all in have in common?

They are all Jacobo Rozo Posso, a multi-talented senior who’s growing big plans.

Jacobo’s been interested in plants since childhood. He cultivated carnivorous plants: “In high school I had 3500 plants in two greenhouses: Venus flytraps, tropical pitcher plants, sarasenias, butterworts, bladderworts…” His first entrepreneurial experience came when selling the majority of his collection to buyers online. He smiles. “Now I have here about two or three hundred of them, just a small collection for me.”

His early plant study “made me more interested in science, and ag in general.”

After starting his US academic career at Durham Technical Community College, Jacobo transferred to NC State. “Horticulture first, then Crop and Soil Sciences. “I was interested in studying the business. I really like plants, but I also like business. Agri-business!”

After graduation, he wants to return to Colombia with his knowledge and create an agriculture company there to export products to America: fruits, vegetables, and other crops.

He was awarded the highly competitive Chancellor’s scholarship from the Study Abroad Office for the Maymester program Costa Rica Sustainable Tropical Agriculture Production, led by Dr. Lori Unruh-Snyder and Dr. Charles Peacock. “I’m very interested in how can we have a sustainable system in the United States, or Colombia, or in all cities?  To produce without having to rely on other systems.  Everything sustainable for cities that don’t have access to fresh produce.”

Studying in Costa Rica gave Jacobo the opportunity to learn more about sustainable tropical agriculture, and he returned with characteristic confidence. “I learned that to engage in agriculture, all it takes is an idea, being original, environmentally conscious, and simple.”

Jacobo’s favorite activity out of the class room is drone piloting, and he filmed natural landscapes during his time abroad in May. A young man of many talents, his varied interests come together in his studies at NC State.

“Every single class I have taken has given me knowledge, information that keeps building up [for me] to be more interested in agriculture, and to make me realize that there are many paths I can take in agriculture and not just one. The tools NC State has offered me, are such that I can know better what I’m going to do later on in my career.”

Click to view Jacobo Rozo Posso’s drone videos on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTBA7K2N7wkGoVCvulBXTA