The start of a new year is a time many of us enjoy to begin something new. For me, the beginning of 2017 was the start of my internship at the International Grains Program (IGP) Institute. The IGP Institute focuses on serving Kansas and U.S. grain commodity organizations through education. Each month Manhattan welcomes domestic and international participants that are attending a course hosted by IGP.
As an intern, my responsibilities include developing the Stakeholder News Brief, writing press releases, writing year in review story’s, updating the website, and taking course photos. The ability to develop my skills and grow in these different areas has opened my eyes to an entire new side of agriculture.
From the beginning, I wanted to challenge myself and grow during the internship. The courses I took prior to my internship taught me the basics of writing, photography and design, but I knew that I needed to develop a stronger set of skills. Throughout the semester I have been challenged in each area and have seen improvements in my skill set. One of my greatest improvements was being able to use Adobe software to create graphics that are appealing to our target audience.
Looking toward the future and a career, each aspect of my internship will be useful in the workforce. The skills I learned will be applied to my future career, but I believe other parts of my internship will be just as beneficial. Learning to communicate with others in the office outside of the communications department has taught me how to work with all types of coworkers. These lessons have allowed me step outside my comfort zone and network with other individuals.
The most exciting part of my internship can be tied to the famous line; “no two days are the same”. Each morning I enjoy being assigned new tasks that aren’t in my normal day-to-day routine. The various projects with IGP commodity partners and within the institute make that line come to life. This has made each day different and has given me the chance to use my creativity on projects.
The ability to learn about a different aspect of the agriculture industry has been the most rewarding part of my internship. Being raised on a beef cattle operation in Kentucky, I didn’t have a true understanding of the grain segment of our industry. My internship has given me the chance the combine my passion for learning, agriculture and communications into one remarkable experience.