Summer months might be the fastest months of the year.
When you are a kid, you looked forward to being out of school and then before you know it, you are back in school wondering where June, July and August went. When I was growing up, I remember my summers being pretty busy. In high school, I worked on my granddaddy’s farm and as a three-sport athlete, I was either playing American Legion baseball or was beginning football practice at the end of summer.
During my college years, I came back home and got to do what I loved the most, which was farming. Sharon and I would farm and make money to go back to school. This summer, the department is hosting a number of college students and graduates in internship opportunities across the state and I must say I have been impressed with the ones I have met so far. I hope I get to meet them all this summer, but I know this time will go very quickly.
A good number of our interns are interested in pursuing careers in agriculture or ag-related industries, but we also have interns working in many areas of the department including Research Stations, Soil and Water Conservation, Legal Affairs, Marketing, Farmers Markets, Small Farms and Public Affairs.
We have an excellent department and these interns will help provide valuable assistance for department programs and the state’s agricultural industry while learning more about careers in agriculture, ag-related support industries and state government. I consider internships to be invaluable. Students can gain actual working experience plus can network for potential careers after graduation. I appreciate their initiative and drive and I know it will be a great summer.
Among the areas of study are mechanical engineering, marketing, horticulture, crop science, animal science, environmental systems, biological engineering, poultry and livestock management and communications and public relations. In the mix, we have students planning to go into veterinary medicine, law and crop sciences.
I’ve said it many times, we need bright young minds in agriculture to grow into the leaders and producers of the future. It is an exciting time to be in agriculture and I hope these summer internships fuel their desire to work in or support agriculture in the future.
As you can imagine, we have students from our main agricultural schools – N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University and the University of Mount Olive – but we also have students from Elon College with us as well. I hope we can continue to offer internship experiences to young people for many years to come. This July we are highlighting all the interns working with us this summer on our social media platforms of Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest department and agricultural news. Below is a list of our 2023 summer interns.
2023 NCDA&CS Summer Interns:
- Karsyn Westerbeek: Public Affairs Division
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Communication with a minor in Business Administration
- Joshua Best: Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Recent Graduate (he didn’t share his major)
- Tyler Senter: Domestic Marketing
- School: University of Mount Olive
- Grade Level: Sophomore
- Major: Agribusiness
- Joy Reibold: Legal Affairs
- School: Graduated undergrad at Purdue University and now in law school at Elon University
- Grade Level: Rising senior in law school, graduating in Dec. 2024
- Major: Undergrad in Political Science
- Addie Thornley: Legal Affairs
- School: Undergraduate at West Virginia University and now in law school at Elon University
- Major: Bachelor Degree in Agribusiness Management and Masters in Agriculture and Natural Resource Economics
- EmmaRose Church: Domestic Marketing
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Junior
- Major: Agriculture Science
- Stephanie Croom: Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Double Major in Animal Science Industry and Liberal Studies in Applied Cultural Thought
- Demarius Mitchell: Clayton Research Station
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Rising Sophomore
- Major: Agribusiness
- Kenan Howell: Cherry Research Station
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: He didn’t give one
- Hannah McCoy: Cherry Research Station
- School: The University of Mount Olive
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Not listed
- Malorie Woodard: Cherry Research Station
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Sophomore
- Major: Crop and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy
- Mathew Johnson: Clinton Research Station
- School: The University of Mount Olive
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: Environmental and Natural Resources
- Madelyn Slade: Clinton Research Station
- School: The University of Mount Olive
- Grade: Rising Senior
- Major: Plant Science
- Azariah Spurlock: Upper Piedmont Research Station
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade level: Recent graduate
- Major: Animal Science and Lab Animal Science
- She plans to start Vet School soon
- Precious Bracy: Upper Piedmont Research Station
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Rising Junior
- Major: Animal Science and Lab Animal Science
- Megan Gentry: Piedmont Research Station
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Junior
- Major: Crop and Soil Sciences with minors in Agronomy and Horticulture
- Jaden Goodman: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Sustainable Land and Food Systems
- Malik Wensman: Soil and Water Division
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Sophomore
- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Demico Guy: Soil and Water Division in Asheville
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Recent Graduate
- Major: Biological Engineering
- Logan Pennington: Veterinary Division
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: Poultry and Livestock Management
- Oyon Martin: N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension
- School: North Carolina A&T State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Sustainable Land and Food Systems
- Mary Kate Collins: Tobacco Farm Life Museum
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: History
- Billy Prestage: Internal Audit Division
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: Double Major in Poultry Science and Business with a concentration in Finance
- Lillie Gardner: Marketing Division
- School: UNC Wilmington
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: Communication Studies with a minor in Digital Arts
- Destiny Wilson: Office of N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Sophomore
- Major: Agricultural Business Management
- Ezra Messer: N.C. Forest Service
- School: Haywood Community College
- Grade Level: Not given
- Major: Forest Management Technology
- Hayden S. Lanier: Legal Affairs
- School: East Carolina University
- Grade Level: Recent graduate
- Currently in law school at Elon University graduating in Dec.
- Jessie Dewey: N.C. Forest Service
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Junior
- Major: Natural Resources
- Santiago Timotei: N.C. Forest Service
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Double Major in Environmental Science and Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
- John Camp: N.C. Forest Service
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Rising Senior
- Major: Forest Management with a minor in Wildlife Sciences
- Delaney Lauren Serpan: N.C. Forest Service
- School: NC State University
- Grade Level: Senior
- Major: Natural Resources Ecosystem Assessment