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Agricultural Communication & Journalism Internships

Category: Writing & Content Development

Learning About Wheat – Mary Marsh

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Mary snapping photos in the greenhouse.

This school year, I started a whole new job- I was the communications intern for Kansas Wheat. This job was way different than any of my other jobs. This was my first office job. I heard about this job by word-of-mouth from one of my friends. Other students can apply for this internship by filling out the application, emailing their resume and cover letter to Jordan Hildebrand.

Kansas Wheat Commission has the checkoff program, and two cents from every bushel of wheat sold goes into this program. This funds efforts for communication and lobbying on behalf of the farmer. It is the job of the Kansas Wheat Commission to give a voice to the Kansas wheat farmers.

My job as intern was to report to Jordan Hildebrand and Marsha Boswell. They were great to work for. They wanted to see the interns excel and were willing to help in any way they could. We were in the same building as the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom which meant more people who could help if I had a question about different programs and ideas.

Coming into this internship, I swore I was not interested in writing. I did not want to be a writer. I was more interested in doing social media, graphic design, and video work. After creating social media content for a few months though, I found that it was not really my forte. I enjoyed seeing my posts getting attention, likes and shares and being creative and quirky was up my alley. On the other hand, we were trying so hard to build a lot of content that many posts were unnecessary. They noticed I was getting bored with content creation, so they let the other intern be in charge of that task. Without having to do the social media content, I was free to work on various writing assignments.

My three favorite writing assignments were “What is Hopping with Wheat Beer”, “Norman Borlaug” and “Heritage versus Modern Wheat”. This gave me a chance to learn more about the science behind beer, what makes a wheat beer, and if wheat would affect flavor, color, or body of the beer. It was a chance for me to learn more about chemical processes behind beer creation and it debunked many previous notions I had about wheat beer! I got to really dive head first and find out about the life and times of Norman Borlaug. As for the heritage versus modern wheat article, I got to learn more about what it is and the differences are. I did not realize how much I love and miss writing. I was really proud of the stories I wrote and submitted. This has given me some direction for what I want to go into after graduation.

The best day at work though was easily the day when I got to take pictures in the greenhouse. I took my personal camera and I went crazy! I took so many pictures of the wheat in different stages of growth. It was fun getting to shoot in a variety of lighting all in one swoop!

Overall, this internship was excellent and I had a great time. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a little bit unsure what direction they want to take with their degree. It was easily one of the best jobs I have ever had. I cannot wait to continue with them next year.

Where the Grain Commodities Align – Tarra Rotstein

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Pasta, leavened and unleavened bread, meat, soy milk, tofu, and ethanol may appear to have nothing in common but all of these products can be produced from four main commodities: wheat, corn, sorghum and soybeans. In summer 2018, I served as the communications intern for the IGP Institute. The IGP Institute is an entity of the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science and Industry. At the Institute they educate professionals in the industry about grains and their different processes to help those professionals run their facilities more efficiently. Through this opportunity I was able to learn about the grain industry and the impact that U.S. grains has world-wide. I was able to work closely with the communications team: Lisa Moser, marketing and communications coordinator, who served as my supervisor; Pat Hackenberg, educational media coordinator; and Kelly Boswell, events coordinator. The IGP Institute is located in Manhattan, Kansas. This allowed me to have extra learning time, because I started the Monday after finals and had my last day the Friday before school started.

I found out about this internship through a friend who had the internship the previous summer and enjoyed it so much. I knew I had to apply for the opportunity.

Each day of my internship gave me the opportunity to learn more. My tasks day-to-day differed, but I had the same tasks each time a course was taking place. Every time a course took place, it meant that I was in charge of capturing the photography and videography for the course, writing a news release, creating a video recap of what happened during the course and interviewing a few participants on camera. This involved planning out my entire week, the Friday or Monday of to ensure I took pictures and videos at the most optimal times, along with coordinating with the course instructor times for interviews and who to interview. I also scheduled a time with the course instructor to record their portion of the video recap for the course.

One of my biggest projects over the summer was redesigning the Department of Grain Science and Industry website. I felt a huge honor in being the one to come up with the plan for redesigning it and when it was approved by the Department Head it felt awesome. I was not interested in web design before entering this internship, and now I am. I have been exposed to web design and have lots of hands-on experience that I can take with me throughout my career.

During my internship I knew there were opportunities to work on video projects and I let my supervisor know I was interested in those. She assigned more projects to me where I worked in videography which was beneficial to my interest and has made me want to continue to pursue those interests.

If there was one thing I learned this summer more than anything, it was that I learned how to learn. In the communications world everything is always changing from social media platform algorithms to updates on Adobe software to working on a new type of computer; there will always be changes that are challenging. I learned how to overcome those changes by learning from others and the internet. If you are ready to learn and want to experience what a ‘real’ job is like, apply! In this position I never felt like just the intern, I was doing projects that needed to be done for the organization and was making a difference.

Quality Beef, Quality Internship – Sarah Moyer

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Sarah at Certified Angus Beef in Ohio

Scanning the meat section at a grocery store, I spot a familiar golden yellow seal and crimson banner, signifying a brand that stands out among the rest. It’s also recognizable in many top-quality eateries across the country and in other parts of the world. This year, the Certified Angus Beef® brand (CAB®) celebrates its 40thanniversary and continues to be a premium brand in the market.

Their producer communications internship centered about writing and, of course, beef. It stood out to me for these reasons as I searched for additional professional experience between my junior and senior years. Originally, I heard about the internship from one previous intern and a course instructor of mine, both of whom encouraged me to apply. I took advice and applied online quickly in early November or late December, interviewed and was presented with the opportunity to work for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) during summer 2018.

In early January, I flew to Wooster, Ohio for my first full experience with the brand. Young beef leaders gathered at the Culinary Center for a short seminar; and we spent time in the meat lab with beef carcasses, in the conference area with CAB professionals, and in community with one another. It was an all-around educational program for beef lovers in attendance. This only scratched the surface for what was to come. To learn more about the brand, visit certifiedangusbeef.com or CABpartners.com.

I decided to work and live in Ohio for my summer internship from the end of May to mid-August. Producer communications interns in the past have not normally migrated out to the corporate office (since the Manhattan office closed), but the move enriched my overall experience tremendously. I leveraged office contacts and stories for my team, connected with co-workers in other divisions, learned about retail and food service, attended an all-staff meeting in July, and participated in biweekly staff breakfasts — one of my favorite CAB company culture trademarks. The work environment of a company can’t be understood remotely, so I encourage other students to work in a traditional office setting at least once before graduation.

Working with the CAB writing team across the country, I created technical news releases, columns, features on brand partners, posts for the Black Ink®blog (www.blackinkwithcab.com) and video scripts. Interviews included ranchers with registered Angus bulls, culinary chefs and other partners in the beef cattle community. I will utilize many writing and media pieces from this internship in my portfolio as I search for a full-time job.

Strong writing students who are coachable and can handle independent projects should apply. Although I worked in the corporate office, my supervisor and “writing coach” work remotely; so effective email and phone communications were critical. Basic photography skills are also highly important for assignments.

Harvest and Grain-Working for a Co-op – Mikey Hughes

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I spent every summer of my childhood on my family’s harvest crew. In mid-May, we would load up our belongings and head toward Texas, spend the summer cutting crops throughout the Midwest, then come back home right after school started. I never got to spend my summer at the pool with my friends, but I wouldn’t change anything about my upbringing. I remember the co-op as an essential part of my family’s business. Traveling to the co-op not only meant receiving some candy, but also dropping off the grain and earning money the farmer had worked all year to collect.

My name is Mikey Hughes. I served as a communications intern for Mid Kansas Cooperative in summer 2018. I am currently continuing my education at K-State as a junior in agricultural communications and journalism.

I began my internship with MKC in February as a member of the Collegiate Career Development Program in Manhattan, Kansas, but I worked in Moundridge, Kansas for the summer. My internship extended past the summer and I am yet again a member of the CCD.

Since joining MKC, my knowledge of the cooperative system has greatly expanded. One of the best parts of working for MKC has been experiencing the value this company places on interns, employees, member-owners and the surrounding communities.

During the summer, I worked on most of the communications materials produced by MKC, both internally and externally. My regular tasks included: writing a producing a monthly employee newsletter, writing bi-weekly articles, managing content on social media, designing graphics as needed, managing content on the website and taking photographs for use in publications.

My final project this summer was writing and directing a short commercial for MKC. My plan included producing a compelling, short commercial that will represent the company for several years that can be used for many different outlets. You can find the finished product, and much of my other work on MKC’s Facebook page.

I have enjoyed working in many areas across the communications field. As an agricultural communicator, I am well-aware that my future role will likely be as diverse as my internship was. I learned how to write for the audience I am targeting, run analytics on social media and develop strategic communications plans for the project I am working on. Those skills are just a few of the concepts I will transfer to my future career.

MKC’s internship was a taste of what my future career will look like. If you’re seeking an internship that provides actual experience and treats you like a member of the team, this one is for you. I went into work every day this summer knowing that my job was valued and necessary for the success of the company. I cannot think of an internship that places so much responsibility on the intern and I am thankful for the opportunity to work for a company like MKC.

My Internship, My Career Path – MiK Fox

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What a summer! Crazy, hectic and fun are some of the most descriptive words that sum up how my summer flew by. I had the privilege of interning with communications department at the lovely Kansas Department of Agriculture in Manhattan, Kansas, in summer 2018. The Kansas Department of Agriculture is devoted to the total support of agriculture in Kansas. KDA works for the entire Kansas agriculture sector, including farmers, ranchers, food establishments and agribusinesses. As an intern, I had a lot of roles and responsibilities that were assigned to me. Managing social media platforms, creating social media content and calendars, and designing graphics were just a few of the numerous projects that I had a hand in completing this summer.

With no previous experience in the Adobe programs besides the basic layout class that I took this past spring, I think that this internship has helped to solidify those things and push me to learn more. Looking ahead into the future with graduation right around the corner, these skills will help put me to the forefront of prospects. The absolute worst thing (but also one of the best things because it taught me a lot) that I was able to experience was the changing of ALL printed materials in an under 24-hour time frame. This was something entirely out of my control but it was something that we all had to rectify in a VERY small window of time. Something I will take away from this: always ask questions. Ask if this is their final version. Ask if they have checked the content they are using. Ask if they are sure the name they have chosen is the final decision. Ask. Ask. Ask. Never feel silly for asking questions.

I think that one of the most memorable events that I was able to be a part of this summer was the day the United States Secretary of Agriculture came to visit. Where else would a college student be able to be a part of an experience like this except at the department of agriculture? Let alone be able to take a selfie with him and shake his hand? Being in the department of agriculture allows you to work in ways that probably would not have been previously thought about. I was able to help out with the FFA state convention – this was something I had not thought would happen. I also was able to go to the local sale barn for lunch – this was something some of the other interns had never done before so it was neat to hear their reactions and listen to what they thought about sale barns in general.

Thanks to this internship, I think that my career plans for after graduation have been altered just a little bit. I learned through a networking event this summer that not all lobbyists go to law school. I also learned that networking goes a long ways in helping you find a job after college graduation. That being said, I had a feeling before this summer began that I did not want to go to more school after I graduate – meaning law school after graduation is probably not going to happen, at least for a while. I realized that I really do want to be involved in the agricultural policy world. I love talking to people and hearing their stories. Those stories end up having an impact on more laws, rules and regulations than most people realize. I want to see how the story of a single farmer impacts an entire piece of legislation. I want to see how the farm bill is created, updated, changed and put into law. I want to understand everything that impacts both the farmer/rancher and the end consumer. I also want to be a big part in helping educate the end consumer on the products that they use every single day.

This internship went by a lot faster than I had anticipated. Before I knew it, it was the week before school and I was preparing for my class load that senior year had in store for me. I highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of Kansas agriculture, enjoys sharing the story of Kansas agriculture, and wants a very hands on internship. I heard this summer that you learn what you really like and what you really don’t like during internships. Having an internship that opens doors can play a huge role in the outcome of your future endeavors.

Kansas City Summer – Emily Meinhardt

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Growing up, I had a huge interest in learning about the breed associations. Being involved in the Hereford breed for many years, I knew I wanted to expand my horizons and learn about another breed. In summer of 2018, I was the Communications Intern for the American Shorthorn Association in Kansas City, MO. I began this internship at the beginning of June and completed it in early August.

The biggest responsibility in this internship was helping plan and put on Shorthorn Junior Nationals and The Summit Leadership Conference. This position gave me a lot of experience with creating content and scheduling posts for the American Shorthorn Association and American Junior Shorthorn Association Facebook pages. I planned out weekly motivational posts and Throwback Thursday post. Other responsibilities involved designing promotional graphics, press releases, and photography. I learned about creating a publication and getting it prepared to send to press. My biggest area of growth was in working in Adobe. I got to spend every day this summer creating content for social media which allowed me to fine tune my skills. I found that I really enjoy creating publications and would like to apply that to my future career. One of my favorite things about this internship was creating promotional content that I got to see the engagement it received on social media. I also enjoyed getting to know the youth within the breed and making connections in another breed.

The American Shorthorn Association internship was sent out on the K-State AgCom Email Listserv. The details for applying for this internship are typically always sent out by the department. Individuals who have an interest in registration, youth activities or communications should look at this internship. It is a great work environment and gives the intern several areas to grow in. The American Shorthorn Association always loves having K-State students, so I encourage anyone interested to apply.

Livestock, Writing and Communications – Megan Green

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I worked for the American Angus Association during the summer of 2018. I worked in the editorial and communications department. I had the opportunity to do multiple projects such as organizing and preparing the photo contest, editing the Angus Journal and Beef Bulletin articles, writing press releases and scanning historical photos.

I learned about this internship through being an active member of the National Junior Angus Association. I have been showing cattle for most of my life and served many offices in the Kansas Junior Angus Association.

This internship helped me improve not only my writing and communication skills, but my professional skills as well. Getting to attend meetings and participate in the day-to-day work force was an awesome learning opportunity. My favorite part of the internship was getting to watch the Angus Report and learning about script writing. The other interns and I interviewed to be on a segment of the Angus Report.

This summer was truly an amazing experience and I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in livestock, writing and communications. Overall this was a great experience for me and I think I became a better writer and communicator. I enjoyed being a part of the Angus team and helping out around the office. This internship experience helped shape my future career goals and I look forward to where I’ll go after graduation.

Advocating for Kansas Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Life – Kyler Langvardt

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Food bank work is just one of the many opportunities during a KFB internship

Advocate, educate and serve. These are the three pillars of Kansas Farm Bureau. I was able to intern with Kansas Farm Bureau for the past two years as a Communications Intern, actively engaging in all three pillars. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences serving the state’s largest farm organization.

With headquarters in Manhattan, Kansas Farm Bureau serves over 90,000 members across the state, representing their interests on the state and national level. Although the majority of our work focuses on farmers and ranchers, the organization also focuses on rural life and member services. Because of the breadth of KFB’s activities, the communications division has to work with each area to correctly communicate their goals and mission.

As a KFB intern, I have been able to work on a variety of projects in many different communications outlets, such as writing, graphic design, radio and more. My favorite projects include those I was able to accomplish for county Farm Bureau organizations. Because each Kansas county has a Farm Bureau organization, many will need communication projects for their events and programs. They are able to submit requests to the state organization, and I am able to provide them with needed materials.

It is great as an intern to see your materials being used in real world situations. I was able to see works be used at the Kansas State Fair, at the Kansas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and even at local county fairs through county Farm Bureau programs. Kansas Farm Bureau also has done an excellent job of making interns feel a part of the company culture and providing educational opportunities with agriculturists, as well as service opportunities, like packaging over 10,000 meals for food banks across Kansas.

Kansas Farm Bureau searches for interns who are available for multiple years and can grow in their skills during their time interning with the organization. KFB accepts interns during the school year as well as the summer. If advocating for agriculture, educating consumers about food or serving the state’s largest farm organization sounds interesting to you, I would recommend searching for opportunities at Kansas Farm Bureau (and even if you can’t intern, be sure to join Kansas Farm Bureau for all of the great benefits!).

On the Right Career Path – Kaitlyn Vicker

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My name is Kaitlyn Vicker, and I am a senior in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, with an emphasis in environmental sciences. This past summer, I was the Summer Communications Intern at Kansas Wheat Innovation Center located in Manhattan, Kansas.

The following points are some intern responsibilities:

  • To research, prepare and write press releases and new articles for distribution
  • Conduct interviews and write harvest reports
  • Write blogs for Kansas Wheat websites
  • Assist with editing and design communication tools, including newsletters and websites
  • Answer phones and greet visitors as needed
  • Carry out special plans and projects with various Kansas Wheat staff members in support of the marketing plan
  • Assist with design of the annual recipe book

I learned three things during my internship: relationships are key, the things we are doing matter, and communication. There are multiple familiar faces outside the organization of Kansas Wheat. Getting to know them personally and building those relationships continues business growth and creates new possible connections. We are all advocating for the same idea and purpose at Kansas Wheat: farmers investing in their future through wheat genetics research. The projects you are working on or the articles you are writing might feel like they aren’t impacting the public. I learned the work I was doing was making an impact on the public, not just in the United States, but worldwide. People have an interest in the wheat produced in the United States and possibly Kansas wheat specifically. Putting out correct and accurate information regarding wheat is important to create a consistent message to the public. I also learned communication is important in any work place or environment. In order to effectively and efficiently get projects done, we need to communicate with coworkers to help collaborate on their tasks for the end project. This will not always create an easy road to the finish line, but it could help answer questions and confusion.

My biggest area of growth was the connections I made, as well as discovering a new interest of mine. Since my internship, I have had the opportunity through my classes this fall to have conversations with coworkers of mine from Kansas Wheat, who happen to be K-State AgCom alumni. This experience helped me gain experiences as well as connections. I can reach out to these individuals for advice on agricultural or ag communications questions. They are willing to lend a helping hand by giving me firsthand experience in their career(s) in ag communications and journalism.

This internship taught me three things: I am in the right direction of a career for myself, I learned a new skill in graphic design and there is always room to grow and learn new things. The more and more I get into classes that are geared toward my major, the more I know I am in the right career choice for me. Even though I am not for sure which direction I would like to go, I can be confident in my choice with Ag Communications and Journalism has a job out there that is best suited for me. During this internship, I picked up a new interest or skill in videography. In the same way that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, a video can help capture a moment or connect the viewer to the subject of video in a different way than words or a picture might. This is a skill I am researching more on my own and would love to use it in the future. The last thing I learned was there is always room to learn something new. There is always a different way something can be done or a different way to express an idea. I look forward to all the new ways I will learn in how to communicate with the public in the future.

I would recommend this internship to anyone who is wanting some hands-on experience with agricultural topics and issues. This internship gave me experiences in social media, writing press releases and articles for the website, as well as communication with farmers and co-ops. These experiences are things I will take with me for a long time.

USDA Rural Development – Amber Kelly

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During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to intern with USDA Rural Development in Kansas as a public information officer intern through the Pathways program. I didn’t know what to expect with this job, but it ended up being really cool and allowing me to practice all of the things I’ve learned at K-State.

While many of the internships I had heard about from my peers had a main summer project, mine didn’t. I consider my “main project” to be learning how to work in a federal office job environment. My duties were exclusively determined on a day-to-day basis, and every day was something different.

Various projects included:

  • Internal communications
  • Writing and editing
  • Communications assistance
  • Photography
  • Learning!

Internal Communications

Any time the state director had information or events that the entire Kansas staff needed to know about, I got to write and send it. This was the most creative part of my job, as USDA has a strict policy for communications to the public but is less strict on intra-agency communications. I could include pictures and graphics and practice creative writing in these announcements.

Writing and Editing

Rural Development helps build housing, businesses, and utilities in rural America through loans and grants. Employees meet with people every day to help with grant applications and to connect them with opportunities. Equally important is recognizing the amazing work my coworkers did by writing “success stories” and press releases. The national Rural Development office sent a list of grant and loan recipients and I localized it by highlighting the ones in Kansas. These are posted on the Kansas Rural Development website. Another way of highlighting the good things happening in rural Kansas were “success stories,” which were in-depth articles about specific projects.

Communications Assistance

Communication is important in every job, not just as public information officers. Often, the loan specialists would ask the communications department for help with their communications. These were typically my larger projects and more diverse. One of my favorite projects was revising and editing a directory to ensure 508 compliancy. That’s making sure the document is compatible with screen-readers and accessible for those with disabilities. Another task I had was to cross reference cities with multi-family housing and summer food programs within walking distance, two Rural Development programs that go hand-in-hand. A third project I had was to design an award certificate that one of the loan specialists wanted to give to lenders to reward their hard work.

Photography

The best days were ones that I got to travel around Kansas! I often accompanied my supervisor and the state director to ground breakings, and even got to tour a hospital construction site and see behind the scenes. Sometimes I even got to drive the government car! At these events I typically got to practice some photog skills and meet the people who were affected by the work USDA does.

Learning

By far the best part of this internship was learning. I had to familiarize myself with the programs Rural Development has in order to write about them. This included approximately a bajillion acronyms! My last week on the job, I was able to attend Rural Development’s national public information officer training and learn all about the newest guidelines for social media usage, inspirational press release writing, effective interviewing, and a thorough photography lesson. I was able to really explore my interests with this job and learn more ways of using an agricultural communications degree.

Soil isn’t Dirt: My Internship with the K-State Department of Agronomy – Danielle Comstock

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Agronomy is the study of plants and soils and their environment. Before I began working at the Department of Agronomy, I had no idea how it was different than any other agricultural science. Now, I struggle to put it into words for the opposite reason. Agronomy is too complex, too interesting of a science to put into one definition, and I’m the communications intern.

I first heard about the internship from my advisor, Dr. Lauri Baker, in July 2016. They were looking for an agricultural communications student to be their communications intern to work during the school year. I’ve worked there ever since. I really enjoy the environment at the department. My supervisor is the department head, Dr. Gary Pierzynski. However, I work for anyone in the department that wants help with a communications project. My main task is managing the department’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. I have also helped with making educational videos, designing posters for displays, taking photos out in the field, greenhouses or even of drones flying through the air, writing articles and press releases, working on the departmental website and so much more. One of my favorite things is that I get to work with so many different people.

Caption: Just another day in Agronomy. I got to go out and capture photos of the UAS270 class flying drones as part of the precision agriculture option.

I also love learning more about agronomy each day that I work there. One of my first few weeks there, the eUpdate editor at the time, Steve Watson, asked me to tweet an eUpdate article and to find a generic photo of wheat to go along with it. After about a minute, I had tweeted the article with a close-up photo of what I thought was wheat. After about half an hour and several engagements on the tweet later, Steve turns to me and says “Danielle, that’s not a photo of wheat.” It turns out, the photo that I thought was a pretty photo of wheat was missing the awns, or as I fondly refer to them, the spiky things. He quickly took the tweet down and put up one with a correct photo.

Caption: K-State bred wheat variety Everest with awns. Photo courtesy of agfax.com.

While it was quite embarrassing, that is something I may have never learned if I had not worked at the agronomy department. Also in my time there, I have learned to never, under any circumstances, call soil “dirt.” It is virtually a sin to use such a derogatory word for one of Earth’s most precious and valuable resources.

I really enjoy getting to do so many aspects of communications. It ensures I never get bored with my job. I have been able to gain experience in social media and gathering analytics from various platforms, while the next day you can find me in the field trying to find the best angle to shoot video of a field of whatever crop is growing at that time. I recently just tried my first hand at advertising on social media. Each day is different. I get to work with a variety of audiences as well. The Twitter account mostly targets practicing farmers and agronomic professionals. I work with student recruitment and our other two social media platforms target prospective and current students, which is a whole new age group. I even get to work with kids when we promote and hold the Agronomy Kids’ Field Day. All in all, it’s a valuable experience that would be hard to find anywhere else.

Caption: Manhattan elementary school students learning about soil at the Agronomy Kids’ Field Day.

A final aspect that is truly great about my internship at the agronomy department is that I can present new ideas and the people I work with are always willing to listen to those ideas and help me put them into action. As an example, when I started the job, the department did not have an Instagram page. I presented the idea to my bosses and described the value an Instagram account could hold for gaining students in the program. While they had little knowledge of the social media platform, they trusted me and let me implement the idea. That was just my first day on the job! Often as an intern and student, it becomes easy to feel undervalued. I appreciate that the people I work with treat me as a colleague, and not just as a student. I have been working at the department for two years now and hope to work there until I graduate. I learn something new each day, whether it be about agronomy or about being the best person I can be. I would recommend this job to anyone, not simply because it’s a good, paying job, but also because the people and experiences are almost impossible to beat.

International Charolais Assocation and the Charolais Journal- Ashley Fitzsimmons

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My name is Ashley Fitzsimmons. I was the 2017 Livestock Publications Council Intern and received the opportunity to intern with the American-International Charolais Assocation and the Charolais Journal. I grew up on a commerical cow-calf operation, predominately Angus cross cattle, in south central Kansas and have had the opportunity to experience all aspects of the beef industry. Although, I didn’t know much about the Charolais breed and had never worked with a publication. This internship was an amazing experience and helped me achieve many of my goals with agriculture communication.

At the end of May, I moved myself to Kansas City, MO, and started my new journey in this foreign world. I started in head first with helping plan and coordinate the American-International Junior Association Junior in Grand Island, NE.

My first Junior National experience was surprising on many levels. The high-quality cattle and the plethora of contests that the youth exhibitors had the opportunity to compete in as well as the informational leadership sessions was truly impressive. It was exciting to see stiff contest competition in areas of prepared speech, art, photography, interview and resume, and that is only scratching the surface. The two contests, team fitting and team sales, drew my attention from the beginning. It was enjoyable watch the youth talent fit their animal to perfection and trying to enhance the breed’s best qualities and confirmation in a specific time frame.

The AIJCA Junior National is a remarkable opportunity to meet breeders and families from all over the country. It is enjoyable to walk through the cattle barn and see the interaction between the different state youth organizations being involved in those conversations. Breeders, industry leaders and families working together to cultivate the next generation of cattlemen. This type of involvement is going to continue creating strong industry relationship for the Charolais youth as well as producing well-rounded industry leaders for the future.

At my time at AICA I helped in assisting with the planning and scheduling of the social media pages for AICA and AIJCA. My other duties included graphic design, press releases, website updates, and some photography. I enjoyed working on both the June/July and August issues of the Charolais Journal. This was my first time ever working with a publication so I was very excited for the opportunity to help with the design and even writing my column for the August issue.

Another exciting opportunity about this internship that the opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Ag Media Summit hosted by the Livestock Publications Council. I was able to talk with many of the most amazing leaders in the livestock publications industry and made connections with the best of the best.

Unfortunately, August came too quick and I wasn’t ready for this amazing summer to end. The most amazing thing about my internship with AICA, AIJCA and the Charolais Journal is that I gained a new family while living in KC and was able to explore a whole new world that I would have never dreamed I would get to explore. Everyone at the AICA was so good to me and treated me like I was one of their own. I would recommend this internship to anyone who has a strong connection or interest in the livestock industry and would like to understand the ins and outs of a working for a publication. The LPC internship is an amazing opportunity to meet professionals and leaders in the industry.

Kansas Water Office- Karli Pryor

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Over the summer, and throughout the fall 2017- spring 2018 school year, I interned with the Kansas Water Office, as a graphic design intern. I found out about this internship through the Agricultural Communications List-Server, and applied by sending my resume and cover letter to my now supervisor. I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in design, video projects, and social media work.

While I worked on a variety of projects, my “day-to-day” design work is creating graphics for KWO’s social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter. This ranged from looking at the national calendar and seeing if any upcoming national days could relate to water, to looking through KWO’s previous projects and creating social media graphic templates to showcase these projects. Along with building the graphics, I also had to develop wording for posts and decide the best hash tags and people to tag in order to gain more interaction with each post.

My biggest projects over summer were to develop a universal template design for various fact sheets. The water office wanted to move to a more professional look, which meant giving their various sheets a cohesive look. Since it is a government agency, fact sheets are handed out to legislators, lobbyist, senators, etc., having a further developed brand and design makes our sheets more recognizable, which was an exciting part of my position, and knowing that my work was making a difference.

I was also lucky to be able to travel around Kansas this summer taking pictures and videos of different lakes and reservoirs around the state to create factual videos about them. This was something I proposed to my boss, which ended up being very successful. It was definitely a learning experience, since I do not have very much photography experience, I was able to expand my portfolio and learn more about photography and videography through this project.

The work I have done during my tine at KWO has greatly increased applicable work for my portfolio. My supervisor was great about working with me to develop projects that suited my interest, and talents. I felt that since I was able to mold my experience with them, I was able to build on to what I want to do with my career.

Kansas FFA Foundation- Kelli Schrag

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I interned at the Kansas FFA Foundation as the Events and Donor Outreach Coordinator. My duties included creating social media campaigns, contacting current and potential donors and designing graphics for mailers. Through this internship, I learned the importance of professionalism, as I’m not only representing myself but the Foundation and Kansas FFA members. I also learned how to write in a manner that suggests interaction and donation from the reader. My biggest area of growth was definitely my graphic design skills. In the past, there were two interns at the Foundation with one being specific to graphic design. However, this year all responsibilities were shifted to my position. My favorite part of the internship was the environment that I worked in. My desk was next to the Kansas Farm Bureau interns and the vibe was always positive in our row. My least favorite part of the internship was calling potential donors and asking for their partnership in a certain scholarship or sponsorship opportunity. I was always nervous whenever I called and that really didn’t change no matter how many calls I made. Still, it was a good skill to practice and it will help me in my future job. Much of what I did during this internship is applicable to my career goals. My goal is to work in a communications or marketing department for a livestock association. Learning how to write an effective campaign, developing my design skills and practicing my communication skills will all be beneficial for this line of work.

I learned about this internship through the department listserv. There aren’t set dates of the internship- I was hired my freshman year and am currently still working for the Foundation. Because so much training is required for the position, the goal is for an intern to work for the Foundation for the majority of their college career. Once the intern position is open, applications can be sent to Beth Gaines, the Foundation Executive Director. Applications consist of a resume, work samples and references. I would recommend this internship to underclassmen looking for a growth opportunity in the communications field. Creativity, a strong work ethic and a positive personality are great attributes for this position.

Hay & Forage Grower Magazine – Lauren Peterson

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After months of stressing about finding an internship and scanning though the ACJ group emails, my advisor sent out an email regarding the Hay & Forage Grower opportunity. Hay & Forage Grower is a monthly magazine owned by Hoard’s Dairyman and based out of their office in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Prior to this internship, I knew next to nothing about forages and had only one semester of ACJ classes under my belt when the H&F editor took a chance and hired me for the summer.

This internship was eye opening to say the least. Beginning mid-May, I spent the summer learning everything about magazine production, from interviewing and writing feature articles to capturing stock photos. Because we only really had two people on staff besides myself (an editor and advertising coordinator), I was able to learn a wide variety of skills. I learned a lot about copy editing and how to set up a good feature article through reading other’s work. My biggest area of growth was probably in photography. While I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, I was able to get a lot of practice, and the Dairyman’s art director really helped me understand the basics of lighting and exposure.

My main tasks were writing two Forage Flashes (shorter articles that would appear online and in the newsletter) a week, copyediting all material for both our magazine and the Dairyman, contributing stock photos, updating press releases on the magazine’s website, creating the weekly newsletter and daily social media posts on four platforms. In addition, I also contributed to the magazine by writing feature articles, compiling other author’s work and findings into articles and writing summery articles of the newest relevant research.

One of my favorite aspects of this internship was all of the travel. My first two weeks were partially spent traveling around Wisconsin with my editor to get pictures of a producer at different stages of his baling process. In my few short months I also traveled to western Illinois for the Illinois Forage Expo, flew to Louisville, Kentucky to interview a beef producer in southern Indiana and was sent to Yuma, Arizona to attended a press day for the newest in AGCO baling technology and machinery. My favorite, however, was a photo trip across Michigan with the editors of both magazines to collect stock photos and get stories for upcoming issues. We spent four days traveling across the state to visit over a dozen dairies and grass fed beef operations.

I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone interested in writing for an agricultural magazine. Knowledge of forages was not necessary to get the job although I did end up learning a lot about forages and dairies in the process. I worked closely with the staff of both magazines and everyone was very involved in helping me learn and further my professional development. Every year both Hay & Forage Grower and Hoard’s Dairyman have an internship opportunity and students can send their application materials to Mike Rankin or Abby Bauer.

Department of Entomology at K-State – Kelsie Beaudoin 

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Last spring I interned with the department of Entomology at K-State. While I was there it was my job to bring more attention to the program. I helped with the communications side of the department, as well as any office tasks that needed done. A few of my primary responsibilities were writing & editing weekly spotlight articles, and updating the departments social media accounts. I also had the opportunity to help with the K-State Extension Newsletter, and working on different designs for the departments yearly newsletter.

My favorite part about my internship was writing the spotlight articles. I thought they were very fun. This allowed me to meet new people and bring the students and staff together. It was a great way for everyone to get to know each other outside of school. I also enjoyed updating the social media accounts. I posted weekly jokes to gain more followers for the department. I enjoyed my internship, however I wish it went more in depth with different aspects of communications, such as more writing and design projects.

During my internship I learned that doing things out of your comfort zone is very rewarding. I never expected that something so different from my major could open as many doors as it has. I learned that writing articles and interviewing people is a great way to get to know them. One big thing I learned was that helping others is rewarding no matter the task.

This internship was a good way to touch all of the bases in the communications field. I would recommend it to anyone passionate about communications, but are looking for something out of their comfort zone. The location was wonderful and it was very flexible with my schedule. I not only gained knowledge that will help me with my career path, but even more so about entomology and how important it is to be knowledgeable in as many subjects as possible.

International Grains Program Institute -Taylor Belle Matheny

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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.

Land O’ Lakes- Shaylee Arpin

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Many people see the name Land O’Lakes, Inc. and recognize it as the butter company. But what they don’t know is that Land O’Lakes is so much more than that.

This summer I interned for Land O’Lakes in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a communications intern for the multiple Land O’Lakes entities: Purina Livestock Nutrition, WinField United and Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods.

Land O’Lakes is a national, enterprise cooperative made up of smaller, regional or local cooperatives. The member cooperatives can either be dairy or crop cooperatives, or both. Cooperatives makes up the enterprise of Land O’Lakes that includes a farm to fork view.

Throughout the summer, I had opportunities to work with producers all over the U.S. and write articles for the Land O’Lakes member news website and intranet along with completing a summer-long project.

The communications team at Land O’Lakes is made up of smaller teams, each having a particular communications focus. This summer, I focused on member and governance communications.

The Land O’Lakes member news site is updated with stories almost daily. Over the summer, I wrote more than 10 articles that were published on the news site and internally through Land O’Lakes’ intranet. My favorite article I wrote was about two Kansas producers who attended a conference in D.C. representing Land O’Lakes.

I also wrote direct member communications for our governance department. This included information from new board member elections to new regulations passed through legislation. I also got to design a campaign surrounding leader elections. This included a new look and new messaging.

This summer, main project was developing the communications plan and media for the Best Talent Survey. A survey taken every two years and used to benchmark the Land O’Lakes workplace environment and how employee feel about their team and job.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to learn about the differences between a regional and national co-op and my summer projects. Land O’Lakes provided me with the opportunity to improve my writing and editing skills. Additionally, being able to develop and work through a communications plan will be an important skill for my future career.

Land O’Lakes has a ton of opportunities for interns. From working in the field to working in the corporate office, students have many options for internships. To find out more about their opportunities, visit the Land O’Lakes website landolakesinc.com. In addition, Land O’Lakes has expanded their Global Food Challenge to include Kansas State University. The Global Food Challenge is open to all sophomores, regardless of major and provides students with a summer learning about global agriculture and trips throughout the U.S. and to South Africa. For more information visit foodchallenge.landolakesinc.com or contact me.

Kansas 4-H Foundation Intern- Janae McKinney

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As a freshman it was a bit of a struggle to find an internship which was welcoming and inviting to underclassmen. However, I found my perfect fit at the Kansas 4-H Foundation where I worked with two other interns, Mikey Hughes and Ben Yarnell. I started in April, where I tried to help complete as many projects as possible before I left on my Italy study abroad trip. In May, I would be gone in the thick of the foundation’s event planning. Luckily my trip finished just two days before the first event I helped with, the 4-H Emerald Circle Banquet.

I had attendee the banquet before but I had never seen the ins-and-outs of the operation. After helping with both the banquet and Friends of 4-H Day, I discovered my passion for event planning which has led me to dual-major in Hospitality Management and Agricultural Communications.

Throughout the summer I was able to work well with different mentors in various areas of the foundation. I started with events, completed writing and press releases, made donor contacts and finished the summer with a well-rounded experience. I loved getting to dabble in multiple areas of communication and work with a team. Coming to work and catching up with everyone in the office was always fun.

I would highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in communications, agricultural or otherwise. This internship would also work well for a person with a background in 4-H since I worked with 4-H projects and donors all summer. For a first-time interning opportunity, I loved getting to see how a great team works together and communicates effectively. It created a high standard of a working environment for me to work in one day.

My Summer Working for Monsanto- Danielle Comstock

Posted on by kmtully

Oh, the sweet silence of the office at 7 a.m. This is my favorite time at work because it is the time that I leisurely check my email, sip on my coffee, and mentally prepare what I need to accomplish for the day. However, today I am reflecting on my summer at Monsanto because today is my last day.

I first heard about this opportunity when my little, Kaylyn, sent me a screenshot of the job posting. “Corporate Employee Communications Intern,” it said. I’m not going to lie, my heart dropped a little when I read the job description and found out that the internship was doing internal communications. I said “Thanks, but no thanks,” and moved on with the job search. But something kept tugging at me to give it a second thought. Internal communications was something I’d never considered, but it would be a great opportunity to challenge myself and grow professionally.

I opened my laptop and applied. Weeks later, Dierdra Yates, my future manager, offered me the job.  She gave me three days to accept, but me, being the eager student I am, asked if I could accept the job right then. After Dierdra said “of course” she gave me all the specifics of the job. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t listening. I was already out the door and walking to go tell my best friend the good news when she got out of class.

I began the internship on May 15, where most of the interns gathered in a room for our orientation. There, I met some really cool people. Monsanto hired interns from many different backgrounds. Some who came from farms, and some who didn’t know the difference between a corn plant and a soybean plant. There were interns from all over the globe, and interns who I consider to be way smarter than me. There were science and research interns, finance interns, even legal interns. And then there was me, one of the communications interns.

At orientation, University Relations encouraged us to begin networking right away. One of my favorite things about Monsanto is that no one is too good to talk to you. I met with several people from all over the company. It didn’t matter to them that I was only an intern. Everyone was willing to share their knowledge and experience with me. Whether they gave me an hour or 15 minutes, they took time out of their schedule to learn about my career goals and offer their insight.

During my internship, my two main responsibilities were to manage the weekly St. Louis Scoop newsletter that went out to the 4,000+ employees in St. Louis, and help with planning and promoting for the company Ambassador program.

The Ambassador program trains employees to have meaningful and informed conversations about Monsanto and modern agriculture. Working with the Ambassador program was a great experience because, if you haven’t heard, Bayer is in the process of acquiring Monsanto. A lot of employees were asking the question “Why do we need to talk to people about Monsanto if Monsanto isn’t going to be a thing anymore?” The thing is, agriculture is going through a lot of changes right now, and the Bayer deal is just one of them. It was my team’s job to show ambassadors why we needed them now more than ever.

My main project with the program was to create and implement a campaign to recruit employees to the program. My team also just created a survey for members to fill out that would help them personalize the program to each individual ambassador, which I also promoted. With this project, I learned how to create a campaign using goals, strategies, and tactics.

Kristen, the person I worked most closely with on the team, challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone while we were running the campaign. When we were promoting at the Chesterfield campus, we were having a hard time getting people to stop at our booth. Kristen made me leave the booth, *gasp* and go talk to people while they were eating lunch. *bigger gasp* I felt terribly awkward the entire time but it worked! After employees finished their lunch, they came to our booth.

We didn’t meet all our goals for the project, but that is another thing I learned. It’s okay to not meet every goal you set. When you don’t meet a goal, it gives you an opportunity to learn from it and try again with new strategies. I have struggled with this personally my whole life. It becomes easy to feel less of yourself and grow weary when you fail. But the path to success isn’t all green arrows. As our CEO, Hugh Grant, might say, red arrows are okay sometimes. They motivate us to improve.

Monsanto evaluates all employees on five core competencies: Relationships and Networks, Courage and Candor, Agility, Initiative and Foresight, and Results Orientation. Three times this summer, we were asked to evaluate ourselves on these competencies. At the beginning, where we identified which ones were our weaknesses and strengths; halfway through, where we reflected on how we had progressed on each one; and last week, our final evaluation of how we had grown in each competency. While Dierdra and Kristen told me that I possessed courage and candor on my first day, I know differently.

When UR told us that we would be evaluated on these, I knew my weakest one would be courage and candor. I often am self-conscious and afraid to share my ideas. So, during orientation, I made it my goal to be courageous and confident this summer. At the beginning, it was definitely me putting on a lion’s mask and pretending with all that I had. However, now, I feel confident and courageous. This is where I grew the most this summer and I can’t wait to carry it with me in my future.

In closing, Monsanto has been an amazing company to work for. Not only because I am passionate about everything the company stands for, but also because the people here are amazing. They are all caring, whole-hearted, passionate people who work diligently to pursue agricultural innovation and each person knows the value of investing in people. I am so grateful for the people who chose to invest in me this summer. I would recommend this internship to anyone, and you can apply for this internship and many more here when they start recruiting!

With that, I’m off to my last newsroom meeting. *sobs quietly*

Kansas Wheat Commissions – Hannah Schlapp

Posted on by Courtney Boman

Since October of 2016, I have had the pleasure of working at the Kansas Wheat Commissions office as a communications intern. Working at the wheat office has given me a completely different perspective on the wheat industry, and for the better. Coming from northern Illinois, wheat is not something we typically see, so even though I was the communications intern, I have learned a manifold of information about wheat and the industry surrounding it.

Kansas Wheat’s main goal is to produce profitable innovations in wheat. They are in a cooperative agreement with Kansas Association of Wheat Growers to help fund research projects to get new wheat technology to the producer’s hands more quickly.

Since working here, I have had the opportunity to write articles, help design monthly magazines in InDesign and design ads. I also had the opportunity to help with the National Festival of Bread competition by interviewing all competition finalists and writing a bio.

Working for Kansas Wheat has been a huge benefit to me in terms of knowledge and growth. I have learned so many things about the communications side of a business, that there are multiple different types of wheat (because I really had no idea), and I have even had some of my articles get published in the High Plains Journal and other sites.

Since I had recently switched my major, I had very little experience with most things in communications and journalism going into my internship. While interning I have grown my writing skills and design skills, including InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.

The Kansas Wheat Commission is an internship I would suggest to anyone who is looking for a communications job. Between the great people who work there, a snack table with goodies, and the work required, you are able to learn so much and have fun at the same time.

Mid Kansas Cooperative – Shaylee Arpin

Posted on by Courtney Boman

Most kids growing up in a large town or city have little access to knowledge about agriculture, farming or even something as simple as where their food comes from. My story would have been the same if my parents had not put my siblings and me into the Central Kansas District 4-H program. For twelve years, I dove head first into learning and soaking up as much information as I could. Because of my experiences with the 4-H program, I chose to major in agricultural communications and journalism with a minor in animal science and industry at Kansas State University.

Through the past 10 months, I have interned with Mid Kansas Cooperative (MKC). I joined MKC in January as part of the Collegiate Career Development Program. A program designed to turn interns into professionals and hopefully retain interns for full-time positions with partners of the program including MKC, Dow, WinField, CoBank and Land O’Lakes. Normal internships run from late May to early August.

To share my experiences, I built a list of the most valuable lessons I learned and my experiences learning them.

  1. Writing is THE most important skill you will learn.

Throughout my ACJ and journalism classes, I had professors tell me that even if I was not as interested in writing as I was in photography or graphic design, I would still have to know how to write. Boy, were they more right than I knew. For MKC, I wrote feature articles that were placed into the employee newsletter and online.

  1. Fake it until you make it or just ask.

I learned as I went further into my internship that if I did not know how to do something, I could sit and try to figure it out or I could just as easily ask! My boss was always willing to show me how to do something. One of my main responsibilities was to produce the employee newsletter. When I started I had trouble working with the formatting of the newsletter. My boss was more than willing to teach me how to do something or what I could do to change an element to make it better.

  1. You probably don’t know exactly what you’re good at.

Throughout an internship, you will get lots of experience in various areas. I found through my internship that I have a passion for graphic design. Before, I focused on working on my photography skills. Now, I have a passion for both and can work on both skills!

  1. You’re going to grow a lot.

My internship at MKC has made me grow both professionally but also personally. I think my biggest area of growth throughout the internship has been learning how to work in a professional setting and how to share my opinions or preferences in writing, photography, or design. MKC has helped me build my professional portfolio and taught me professional skills such as email writing and best interview practices.

My favorite part of interning with MKC has been growing my professional network. Over the summer, interns visited MKC locations, as well as the KDA and Wheat Innovation Center. Although most days were great, I found that there are times when there is a lot of work to be done but also times when there may only be one or two projects.

These experiences described above are going to carry over into my professional career because I gained both writing and graphic design skills as well as professional knowledge. I would recommend this internship to a person invested in advocating for the agriculture industry through writing and social media. To learn about and apply for an internship, students need to contact MKC at career fairs or the MKC Coordinator of Talent and Industry Partnerships, Hilary Worcester.

A Summer at Look East – Topanga McBride

Posted on by Courtney Boman

This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Look East, a public relations firm right outside of Kansas City. Unlike other PR firms, Look East’s clients are agribusinesses and agricultural organizations. One of their biggest clients is The Center for Food Integrity. From the end of May to the beginning of August, I spent every day doing something new.

My summer was a success because of my mentors and advisors at Look East. I started off with a list of goals to accomplish and by the end of the summer, I had achieved them all. I gained experience in multiple outlets of media, published my writing and even tried ghost writing, and gained a completely new appreciation for analytics and strategy. I tracked The Center for Food Integrity in the media all summer long through Cision. While design was not my strong skill, I was able to work on it and create some great infographics. My co-intern and I even ran an agriculture advocacy training program for other college students.

My biggest area of growth was not necessarily a skill but in my ability to hold myself up in a professional setting. Prior to this internship, I had little experience in a professional setting. By spending my summer at Look East with great role models, I was able to get great advice for my professional life.

My internship, like all, had its ups and downs. My proudest moment was writing an op-ed that was published in The Huffington Post. It took many edits to get it there, but it took that kind of work to get it published. I was trusted to represent The Center for Food Integrity, regardless of my position. I loved the internship, and I only wish that there wasn’t as much downtime. My co-intern and I got through some work faster than anticipated and found ourselves searching for more work to do.

My experience at Look East has actually helped me get a media relations internship at Monsanto. Outside of my immediate plans, this experience has helped me realize what sort of path I want to take in agricultural communications. I enjoyed The Center for Food Integrity work the most because I felt more connected to the client. Going forward, I think I am best suited for more of a corporate communications role where I work for the organization I am representing.

I was lucky enough to find this experience through an email from Dr. Kris Boone. If you are looking for an opportunity to gain very diverse experiences and have plenty of support from a great staff, Look East would be a great fit for you, especially if you enjoy educating the general public about agriculture.

Look East is looking for more interns this summer. If you’re interested, you can apply at: http://lookeast.com/position/2017-public-relations-internship/.

Kansas PRIDE- Madison Blevins

Posted on by Courtney Boman

I worked for a non-profit organization known as Kansas PRIDE, which is located on K-State’s campus. This organization strives to promote an enhanced quality of life for citizens of Kansas communities through education, leadership development and recognition. My responsibilities included daily tasks such as answering phones, customer service, attending meetings and other jobs.

My responsibilities included daily tasks such as answering phones, customer service, attending meetings and other jobs. My main responsibility, however, was to use my major of Agricultural Communications and Journalism to write press releases, create documents and write newsletters.

My most exciting moment while working with Kansas PRIDE was when I got my first article published in the High Plains Journal. I was able to build a great portfolio by working with this organization and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a friendly environment and utilizing their writing skills.

9 things you learn as a KWO intern – Amanda Sales

Posted on by Courtney Boman

After three years and three summer internships, here I am entering my final year as a K-State student. It’s a crazy thought! To sum up my most recent intern experience at the Kansas Water Office (KWO) in Topeka, I created a list of 9 takeaways from my time there.

9. You will inevitably have to explain what the Kansas Water Office is.

The KWO office gets myriad calls per day from people seeking the City of Topeka’s Water Office. Our receptionist is a pro at fielding these calls and directing the callers to the right place.

Example: Saying “I work for the Kansas Water Office” is usually followed by a load of questions. We’re the state’s water planning, policy coordination, and marketing entity. Imagine that we are an umbrella over the Kansas Department of Agriculture-Division of Water Resources and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s water bureau.

8. People will be people.

One of the most undervalued skills, in my opinion, is people relations. I learned a lot about people and personalities at KWO. In a realm where situations fringe around politics, you see many types of people.

7. Some people are really passionate about water.

I’m one of them now. I cringe when I see inefficient irrigation systems and I’m thankful for the conservation technology and research of this technology that KWO is funding to recharge the Ogallala Aquifer rather than deplete it. One major event over the summer was a field day for one of KWO’s three Water Technology Farms. The event showcased a combination of soil moisture sensors and mobile drip irrigation to help dictate when to start irrigating, when to stop, and most importantly, if it is even necessary at all. On the flip side of irrigating, it also frustrates me to see lawns being watered after a rainfall event. Save your water, people!

6. Working for the government is exactly what you would expect.

KWO interns are lucky to be paid, for one, as I know many state intern counterparts who are not. There’s also the importance of watching what you say and picking which political debates are safe to join. Usually it is better to stay neutral while in the public eye, because your actions represent the state government as a whole.

5. Being an intern for the state can lead to cool adventures.

KWO interns are allowed the opportunity to participate in the Governor’s Intern Program, which consists of six professional development sessions with fellow state interns. We covered the basic professional development topics like resumes, politic-related careers as a young professional, interviews, and how to act like an adult. We also participated in a lot of fun activities. For example, Wildlife, Parks and Tourism hosted us for a fun day at the Shawnee State Fishing Lake. The day included wingshooting, archery, kayaking and fishing. When was the last time you fished during a work day? KDA also led an agriculture-related tour to exhibit the facets of our state’s economic driver. In addition to these fun field days, we visited Cedar Crest and were presented networking opportunities.

4. There are still Kansans that believe water conservation is not their concern.

These people are quite the opposite of the water-passionate people discussed in number seven. It’s too bad there are still individuals unwilling to re-evaluate their water consumption because fear of risk outweighs the prospect of having water for future generations. Did you know that the Ogallala Aquifer, at current depletion rates, will be 70% depleted by 2064?

3. The optimal size for a Facebook graphic is a 470×470 pixel square.

This is the height/width size that appears on timelines. A major portion of my role at KWO included developing social media graphics, so I used this size standard to dictate my setup for creating the graphics we shared. In addition, I really enhanced my Adobe Illustrator skills when it came time to create engaging infographics that were worth sharing or retweeting. My advice for any students with interest in design—grab an easily portable notebook and every time you learn a new tool, technique or shortcut, write it down so you’ll easily know how to do it for future applications. I have one of these books and it helps immensely to speed up the design process.

2. Talking on the phone never gets easier.

No matter how much intern/job experience I have had, talking on the phone still gets me. There was one afternoon during the summer I was in charge of answering the phone while several staff members were in a meeting. Ironically, the first call was a person asking for the City of Topeka Water Office (see number nine). Soon after, a gentleman called asking for one of my co-workers. After accidentally hanging up on him twice, I finally figured out the correct way to transfer the call (#internfail). I suppose I am doing all right, though, if the hardest task of the summer was figuring out the phone system.

1. Real-life journalism isn’t like what they teach you in school.

Another part of my intern role included assisting with press releases. I came to discover that writing releases doesn’t always follow the clear cut rules taught at college. Call the source and ask for a quote? Writing something he/she would say and running it by them is perfectly acceptable. Write according to inverted pyramid style? Sometimes the person of most stature actually gets the first mention and quote block regardless. And like many places, gubernatorial entities follow their own style when it comes to writing. There were a few examples over the summer that in some way contradicted what professors taught me.

KWO was great to me and I now have the opportunity to extend my full-time summer internship into a part-time work-from-home job during the fall semester.

Overall, I recommend this internship to someone with an interest in politics, or someone looking to expand his or her knowledge of our state’s resources. Water is actually fascinating, and I encourage you to pay closer attention to it.