An Extension faculty/specialist partnered with a faculty member in Plant Pathology on a grant to provide high school students with mentoring experiences that would expose them to potential careers in agriculture. After minimized COVID restrictions, one African American high school student came to work in the CAFE lab of the plant pathologist to complete an independent study project related to the work. The Extension specialist served as the supervisor and mentor to the student, while the other faculty member aided the student’s gained knowledge of technical expertise and preparation for a science fair. The student entered a project in the science fair and won first place at district and regional levels, and second place at the state level. The graduate student working alongside the high school student in the lab applied for and won a diversity award from the American Phytopathological Society (APS), which will support the high school student's attendance at the next Southern Division APS meeting next spring (2022) to present his research. When asked about a new-found interest in agriculture, it is clear that the student plans to consider a career in the agricultural sciences, a field he knew very little about prior to his experience working on campus.