Story by Dan Martin, senior (ACJ)
When summer comes around, the average college student thinks about hanging out with friends and sleeping in until the early afternoon. This is not the case for three ACJ students. These students want to gain knowledge and a competitive edge in the market place after graduation.
This summer McKayla Brubaker will be interning for Stewart Seed in Washington, Kansas. Her duties will include communications and marketing, and she will have the opportunity to develop a social media plan for Stewart Seed.
“I’m most excited about having the freedom to develop a social media plan to improve their business,” says Brubaker. “I hope these internship experiences will allow me to further develop myself personally, as well as professionally.”
Brukbaker says she looks forward to gaining agricultural industry experience, she didn’t grow up on a farm, this is her opportunity to gain knowledge about an unfamiliar industry.
Audrey Schmitz will be the summer communications intern for Kansas Wheat. Her responsibilities will include layout and design of the monthly magazine. Her duties will also include placing news and important information from the National Association of Wheat Growers, U.S. Wheat Associates, and other sources to keep readers updated on wheat production. The big part of her summer will be preparing for the National Festival of Breads that Kansas Wheat is hosting in June.
“Working part time has helped ease me into my summer internship and get acclimated to the tasks and responsibilities assigned to me,” says Schmitz.
Schmitz believes this internship will help improve her writing and editing skils and build her creativity. She feels fortunate to work with great mentors and a supportive staff who want to see her grow as an intern and young professional.
“My internship is also giving me real-world experience in an office environment and a chance to publish my work to expand my portfolio,” Says Schmitz. “My internship has provided me the chance to apply myself to tasks and assignments that may be presented in a future career.”
This summer Celine Beggs, a sophomore in ACJ, will intern for Dupont Pioneer at its corporate headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. Beggs will work with the Enrciria service team, a specialized form of precision agriculture, that gives the farmer a tool to input field information.
“This information is in turn used to give personalized recommendations to the farmer regarding a specific field or area in their field,” says Beggs. “These recommendations will range from water management to seeding rates and nitrogen management.”
Beggs recalls growing up on a farm and helping her dad and grandpa in the field. She remembers seeing the Pioneer seed bags being lifted into the planter.
“While I’m not at home or consistently in the fields with them anymore, I’m excited to know that I can work for a company that sends me back to those tractor rides during the fall and spring with my family,” says Beggs.
She is excited to see where this summer takes her as a young professional and member of a family farm.
