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Guetzko, student attend Borlaug youth event
News · July 24, 2014


West Branch resident Margaret Guetzko and her Highland student, Janne Toener, attended the Normal Borlaug Youth Institute at Iowa State University with more than 200 other students and teachers from across Iowa.


Janne, a German exchange student at Highland, is also a student in Guetzko’s Spanish III class. Janne wrote a research paper about world health issues concerning the spread of AIDS in Mozambique, Africa. She presented this paper at the Youth Institute on April 14 to a panel of scholars and students.

Guetzko said she was excited to attend.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to share the importance of Norman Borlaug’s work,” she said. “It gives students the opportunity to set big goals to change the world, and Dr. Borlaug is a model person to follow.”

Guetzko said she tells her students that Borlaug almost did not make it to college.

“So all the less-academic students can’t make excuses!” she laughed. “They have the power to dream big, too, just like Norman.”

Toener said she was enthusiastic about her experience.

“This is an incredible event and a great honor that I was given to participate,” she said, thanking Highland High for the opportunity to make the trip. “Meeting the other students was exciting and shaking hands with the Governor of Iowa was wonderful.”

After the paper presentations, Gov. Branstad made his keynote presentation, stressing the importance of Dr. Borlaug’s work in Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico. He then talked about unveiling the Borlaug statue in Washington, D.C., and the importance of the Youth Institute.

“This institute is the legacy of Dr. Normal Borlaug, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist and father of the Green Revolution,” Branstad said.

The governor noted that Borlaug, a small-town boy from Cresco, is credited with saving the lives of millions of people by developing a high-yield, disease resistant wheat.

The Institute is part of his dream that Iowa students continue their study of how to help the people of the world through science with international languages and cultural understanding. Branstad praised the reputation of Iowa as the world leader in agriculture and technology and challenged students to “carry on this legacy of humble, hardworking people who are changing the world everyday.”