Two weeks into the internship and I have been having a lot of fun and learning so much. Growing up in a Chicago suburb, I have not had too much exposure to farming practices. I have spent a good deal of time on my grandparents farm, but I never ran any equipment. So these first two weeks brought many new experiences. I learned to drive different tractors and mowers. I also got to ride on a tractor while it was planting sweet corn and see how the GPS and auto steer work. This particular experience was really interesting and it was cool to see all the different things that are monitored when planting. Getting to ride on these tractors and learn how to do things while watching those who are really experienced is fun because they know a ton and can answer all of my questions. I have already learned so much and I am very excited for what the rest of this summer will bring.

This is a picture of the sweet corn planting contraption that I got to ride on.

Just another busy day at the office...

Well...today is a very busy day for me. I am planning on having lunch with Tim Stock (Farm Bureau) to discuss Farm Bureau  in general, job opportunities and what I may like interms of a career path within Farm Bureau.  After that, I am goingto have a radio interview with Jared White.  He just wants some background information, why and how I got this internship and what it all entails.  Also, totalk briefly about my major and U of I. Later on this afternoon, Vasudha Pinnamaraju (Sustainable Decatur) is coming in to talk with Paul (one of my supervisors) and I about what the program does for those involved with local foods and small farms in Macon County. Busy, busy day!! I like my job so far, the people are great to work with and I have learned so much in just a weekand 2 days :).  
                                                                               CW (05/23/12)

Summer Interns Get to Work

University of Illinois students in Agricultural Education are completing professional internships over the summer. These students will be gaining invaluable real-world experience, earning academic credit, and taking home a paycheck. The internship program is a required component for students in the Agricultural Leadership Education concentration. Students typically complete the internship between their junior and senior years. This year our students have been placed in paid internships in top agricultural organizations across the Midwest, and we are proud of them. Our Ag Ed curriculum stresses experiential learning, and the professional internship is the cornerstone in our program. Students this summer will get a chance not only to explore careers but also to put their academic training into practice, offering program development, research, sales, and leadership to premier workplaces in the ag industry. This professional experience is part of what gives our U of I students a competitive advantage when it comes to landing a job after graduation. 

Students completing professional internships this summer who are enrolled in AgEd 293 (Ag Leadership Internship) include: 

Caitlin Chrzanowski
University of Illinois Extension, Unit 8 (Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam Counties, IL)

Jacob Firkins
AgriGold (St. Joseph, IL)

Sarah Fritz
University of Wisconsin Extension - Beef Quality Assurance Program (Madison, WI)

Dillon Garver
The Maschhoffs (Carlyle, IL)

Caroline Hoff
The Howard G. Buffet Foundation (Decatur, IL)

Mark McKown
AgCareers.com (Ames, IA)

Carly Wesner
University of Illinois Extension, Unit 17 (DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties, IL)

Leah Wilkening
Illinois Corn Marketing Board (Bloomington, IL)

Stay tuned for news from the interns about their amazing experiences!

- Dr. Kari Keating, Internship Coordinator

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