Alum’s life goes nuts!
Virginia Wesleyan alum Ronnie Jordan ’03 is a true success story.
Five years ago and, after years of losses, the peanut farmer decided to give up on farming and pursue an education. With the aim of studying law, Jordan enrolled at Wesleyan. But two years later, his path in life was once again changed – this time by an academic mission to Africa.
While in Africa, Jordan met John Blacken, former ambassador of Guinea-Bissau, a disadvantaged country on the western coast of the continent. It was Blacken who told Jordan a story that hit close to home – a story about cashews.
The nuts, which originated in Brazil, were distributed among the Portuguese colonies, including Guinea-Bissau. One tree produces approximately 40 pounds of cashews a year. Jordan began to think in terms of what could help the impoverished country recover from its recent civil war. The answer? Organic cashews.
Jordan is now the founder of Reach Out to Africa International (ROTA), which specializes in organic cashews grown in the region. The organization has created jobs and generated a product with a strong market in the U.S.
In addition, ROTA has been nominated for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Award for Corporate Excellence in the small- to medium-sized business category.