Official Nebraska Government WebsiteA Slice of Intern Life: A Look Inside My NWB Internship So Far
Hello everyone! My name is Abby Hirschman, and I am the Communication and Outreach intern for the Nebraska Wheat Board this school year. I am a sophomore at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, majoring in Agricultural Communications and minoring in the Engler Entrepreneurship Program, the Krutsinger Beef Scholars Program and Animal Science. As I begin my second semester in this role, I’m excited to share my first intern blog and give a behind-the-scenes look at what I’ve been working on.
Back in July, I came across this internship opportunity on Handshake and decided to apply. I completed the application and submitted my cover letter, resume, and references. Shortly after, I had the opportunity to interview with Jadyn and Sam at the office. I felt the interview went well and allowed me to showcase my skills and interest in the position.
I was thrilled when I learned I had been chosen for the internship. I started in August eager to learn, grow, and take on a new opportunity with the Nebraska Wheat Board.
During my first semester, I had the opportunity to take on a variety of projects. Some of my main responsibilities included creating social media graphics and learning how to schedule content across different platforms, assisting with weekly crop reports by calling Nebraska Wheat Board members and gathering their insights, writing multiple Wheat Board articles and press releases and helping put together the monthly newsletter for the Nebraska Wheat Growers Association by sharing national news and recapping recent events. I also had the chance to travel to several conferences and agricultural events, including Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, the Nebraska Wheat Expo in Crete and the AgCeptional Conference in Norfolk. These experiences really helped introduce me to the wheat industry and agriculture as a whole.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far is how important effective communication is in the wheat industry and agriculture overall. The way we share information matters, whether it’s marketing the Wheat Board, telling producer stories, or helping educate consumers at events. I’ve also learned that content often needs to be tailored to different audiences while still accurately representing wheat producers and the work they do every day.
This semester, I’ve set a few goals to continue improving my communication skills. I plan to do this by writing a monthly blog with intern updates, as well as continuing to work on press releases and other articles. I also aim to build my social media skills by consistently creating engaging content each week, developing new graphic ideas, paying attention to which posts get the most engagement, remember that less is often more and adjust my approach to better connect with different audiences. In addition I plan to continue learning more about the wheat industry by asking questions, attending meetings and events when possible and learning directly from producers and industry professionals so I can communicate more clearly and effectively.
To date, my favorite part of working with the Nebraska Wheat Board has been creating social media content and learning how to tailor it for different audiences. Looking ahead, I’m especially excited to travel more this semester and participate in upcoming events. At the end of January, we will attend the USW/NAWG Joint Meeting in Washington, D.C. During this trip, I will be responsible for taking photos, interviewing board members, and learning more about how these two organizations’ work to support wheat producers across the country. I’m also excited to do an Instagram takeover so followers can get an inside look at what we’re doing. Two other events I’m looking forward to are the Women in Ag Conference in Kearney, where I’ll have the chance to connect with other women in agriculture, and the State FFA Convention, where I’ll be able to talk with students interested in future careers in the agricultural industry.
This internship has been a great experience so far, and I’m excited to see what this semester holds. Thank you for following along, and stay tuned for more intern updates throughout the semester!