As the weather warms up and the school year winds down, five undergraduate college students will begin internship programs supported by the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA). Each internship is unique in its offerings, designed to immerse students in real-world professional experiences that may provide a future career after graduation.
These interns will work in various locations across the U.S. with key cooperators of NCB. These cooperators include the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), U.S. Grains Council (USGC), U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and NeCGA. Most of these internships will conclude at the end of the summer, with one student serving in a yearlong schoolyear internship experience.
“As we embark on our 34th year of the Nebraska Corn internship program, we reflect on the sheer number of interns we’ve had the opportunity to see grow and thrive because of the program,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of NCB and NeCGA. “Internships work and the proof is right in front of us as many interns go on in their full-time careers to work for these cooperators, including an intern from last year. The opportunity to play a small role in their careers is taken very seriously for Nebraska Corn and we wish these interns the best of luck.”
Two summer interns will be hosted by NCGA. Madeline Weber is majoring in agriculture leadership, education and communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She will be interning with NCGA in St. Louis, focusing on communications and industry relations. Shelby Basham, a junior from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale who is majoring in agricultural communications and agribusiness economics, will be spending her summer in Washington, D.C. working on policy with NCGA.
“I applied for the National Corn Growers Association public policy and analysis internship because I was seeking an opportunity to gain experiences in advocating for policies that not only impact corn growers across the nation but also the broader agricultural community,” said Basham. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and share the story of the industry that truly is the backbone of America. I’m incredibly eager to immerse myself in the diverse landscape of agricultural policymaking and the opportunity to advocate for the industry I call home.”
Abby Loesing will also be in Washington, D.C. this summer as she completes her internship with USGC. Loesing is majoring in agricultural education: communications and leadership at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Marissa Davis, majoring in agribusiness at UNL is interning with USMEF in Denver, Colorado. Davis will focus on international relations and understanding the meat market, enhancing the product around the world.
“I applied for the promotion and international relations internship because I want to gain an understanding of how U.S. meat is transported and used throughout the world. I also want to understand how different organizations, such as Nebraska Corn and USMEF, work with each other,” said Davis. “The agricultural industry is vast, and I think that understanding domestic policy and international policy is important. I am most looking forward to working in Denver and being able to create new connections in the industry.”
This year, NCB and NeCGA will share an intern whose main focuses include event management and communications. Specifically, this summer, the intern will plan and execute the NeCGA golf tournament. Madison Kreifels is an agricultural and environmental sciences communication major at UNL.
“I admire Nebraska Corn’s dedication and drive to fulfilling their mission,” said Kreifels, “ I know everyone will push me to my full potential, which is something that I look forward to throughout my internship experience.”
In addition to the students gaining real-world experiences throughout the summer and helping fulfill the duties and missions of their respective organizations, the interns are also able to gain valuable insight into possible future careers.
Interns will document their learning experiences through written updates and social media posts. To keep up with these students and their experiences, visit nebraskacorn.gov or follow the Nebraska Corn Board on social media channels.
