ALE Reflection

INTRODUCTION

Texas A&M Extension Service was established in 1915. There is an extension office in all 251

counties in Texas with more than ninety-six thousand volunteers helping support them and their

programs. The vision of the service is to help Texans live better. They achieve this goal by

putting on several programs year round that promotes education in a variety of areas from

production agriculture, to heathy diets, to water conservation, and everything between.

WHY I CHOSE THIS INTERNSHIP

I first heard about this internship from Donald Kelm, District 8 Administrator, when I took a

special topics class with him. I had told I was considering starting a career with Extension after

graduation, but wasnt quite sure where to start. He then shared information about a paid

internship through AgriLife where I could get a firsthand look into the company and how it is a

great way to get your foot in the door. I stayed in contact with Dr. Kelm over the next few

semesters and when the position opened he emailed the link right away. Once the applications

were reviewed, I got a call for an interview from none other than Dr. Kelm himself.

WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE

My 4-H and Youth Development class that I took with Dr. Weems has been one of the most

beneficial classes Ive taken so far in my internship. We discussed the history of the AgriLife

program and what exactly 4H entails; its not just animals like everyone typically thinks. There

are clothing and textiles, educational presentations, photography, and many other areas for youth

to get involved in. Another class that has helped me is the special topics class I mentioned above.
Dr. Kelm explained various details of the extension service, as well as, some of the everyday

responsibilities for agents. We focused mostly on the 4H and ANR side of things. I even actually

got to work with Emily, who is my supervisor now, a few times in that class. Another class that

has proven itself useful in my internship is Mrs. Hensons Ag Extension and Industry Methods.

In this class we discussed the history of the Extension service as well while looking at the Land

Grants in great detail. Knowing the history of the company youre working for is priceless when

having professional discussions among colleagues. It would be embarrassing for someone to say

something about the Smith-Lever Act and I not be able to comment because I didnt know what

it was.

BEYOND THE DISCIPLINE

When I started at Tarleton I was an Option I major, therefore I ended up retaking Intro to Speech

when I didnt get the grade required for the teaching program. At the time it seemed like an

inconvenience, but little did I know, this was actually a benefit for me. That extra class helped

me to become more confident and efficient at talking to groups of people. I even hosted a

Leadership Clinic during my internship where the biggest focus was public speaking. I believe

without that extra class it would not have gone as smoothly as it did. To much of my surprise, my

general animal biology proved to be useful as well. When I helped with the Pasture to Packer

evaluations I was able to better understand what Dr. Sawyer and Jared Jackson were talking

about when they discussed the animals. I was able to help explain to some of the participants and

their families why feeding different feeds effects the animals differently. Another class that

helped me be successful was my college research course. I used the information learned in that

class several times this past semester. I was able to evaluate websites to see if they were reliable
and knew how to organize the data I found. I had to research information when preparing for my

leadership clinics, judging practice, and a few other times as well.

BEYOND ACADEMICS

Something that has helped me a lot in my internship is my experience in FFA. I didnt know

much about 4H activities and events, but most were very similar to the FFA ones. Since I showed

pigs and judged livestock in high school, I was able to teach a judging practice over pigs. I also

learned responsibility, accountability, determination, and work ethic. All of these skills were

essential in being a productive employee for AgriLife. My previous jobs also helped me in my

internship. Besides having made many connections while working at Grumps and McCoys, I

also gained essential skills for being a successful employee. I learned how to talk to people I

didnt know, including those who werent always in the best of moods, and how to be

accountable. If I say Im going to do something, you can always count on me that I will.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

There were many classes in college that I thought werent worth my time, but I now realize I was

wrong. Reflecting back on my internship and college career, Ive learned there is no such thing

as useless knowledge. Any way that you can expand your mind to new ideas and concepts can

only benefit you in the long run because you never know when that experience may come in

handy.

GLOBAL AWARENESS

I have not been sheltered when it comes to dealing with those of different ethnicities and races

due to me going to a high school near an air force base that also hosted foreign exchange

students. We had students from all over the world come to our school, but typically for only a
short period of time. I had never been around people with strong Dutch accents though so that

was definitely an interesting experience for me. I have also learned that the phrase Trust your

neighbor, but brand your cattle could not be any more true. It is human nature to want to trust

someone and believe their intentions are good, but that doesnt mean you should leave yourself

vulnerable to get burned. Always cover your bases, no matter who the person or what your

preconceptions of them are. First impressions are not always the most accurate.

BROADER IMPLICATIONS

In conclusion, I have learned more from this internship than I ever thought I would. I learned that

extension is probably not my calling, agents arent paid near enough, and I have so much more to

learn about this industry that I am so passionate about. I also learned a lot about myself and how

others see me. I never realized just how strong my work ethic was until I heard how my

coworkers would talk about me and to me. I was treated as an equal and they didnt hold my

hand. Those in the District Office treated me the same as the agents and had the same

expectations for me as they did them. This reassured me that I really am ready for the real

world.