Official Nebraska Government WebsiteA Slice of Intern Life: The Last Look At My Internship
I can’t believe my internship has already come and gone. It’s hard to believe how fast these past nine months have gone by. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be chosen as a Nebraska Wheat Intern and have this experience. What started as a new opportunity quickly turned into an experience that challenged me, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and gave me a new perspective on the wheat industry. Over the past several months, I’ve had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally while learning more about the wheat industry than I ever expected.
Through this internship, there are a few key lessons that have stood out and will stay with me moving forward. The first lesson I learned is how important communication is to agriculture. Communication is key to sharing producers’ stories and bridging the gap between producers and consumers. Whether it was writing press releases, creating social media content, or helping with radio reports, I quickly realized that how we share information matters.
Another important lesson I’ve learned is the value of stepping outside of my comfort zone. When I first started my internship, I wasn’t very confident in my skills or my ability to communicate with others. Throughout this internship, I had the opportunity to attend events, network with industry professionals, and even present my experiences in front of the Nebraska Wheat Board. These experiences challenged me, but they also helped me grow, branch out, and develop skills that I know will benefit me in the future. I have developed stronger communication skills and produce work that reflects a higher standard than where I started before this internship.
I also learned how connected the agriculture industry really is. Agriculture leaders work together to strengthen the industry and support it for future generations. From local events across Nebraska to attending meetings in Washington, D.C., I saw firsthand how producers, organizations, and policymakers all play a different, but important, role in supporting agriculture. This experience helped me understand the importance of advocacy at both the state and national levels.
Finally, I learned that growth takes time and consistent effort. At the beginning of my internship, I was just starting to develop my writing skills, had limited experience in content creation, and knew very little about the wheat industry. Over time, I broadened my knowledge and strengthened my skills in these areas as well while also developing new ones, such as time management, professional communication, interpersonal skills and collaboration. Looking back, it’s rewarding to see how much I have grown throughout this entire experience and to reflect on everything I’ve learned and the people I’ve met.
Before starting my internship, I was majoring in Agribusiness at UNL where I was planning to pursue a business-related career, possibly in banking. I applied for this internship hoping to gain more experience in the agriculture field, without fully knowing what my day-to-day responsibilities would look like. As I got more involved with my work, I quickly became genuinely interested in and enjoying the communications side of the agricultural industry. I was exposed to a variety of ag communications tasks, including writing press releases and newsletters articles, taking pictures at events, creating graphics, managing social media platforms, working with KRVN on weekly radio segments, and connecting with board members and other industry leaders. Each project I completed made me want to dive deeper into agricultural communications and continue this kind of work in my future career.
After gaining exposure to a wide variety of experiences, I decided to change my major to agricultural communications. What stood out to me most was how much I enjoyed the creative side of the work, along with the opportunity to promote Nebraska Wheat. I found it especially rewarding to help educate consumers, as many Nebraskans are not aware of the wheat grown in the state. Being able to share that story through social media, trade shows, and written articles made the experience even more meaningful.
Overall, I am incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to serve as an intern for the Nebraska Wheat Board. I would like to thank Sam, Jadyn, and Royce for opening the door for me to work with them, attend events, and contribute to numerous projects during the internship experience. I am grateful to have met them. I also want to thank all of the Wheat Board members for their support. I am leaving this internship with more developed communication and outreach skills, a stronger network, and a deeper appreciation for Nebraska wheat producers. I am excited to continue building on what I’ve learned and carry these experiences and skills with me as I move forward in the agricultural communications industry.