Monthly Archives: July 2026

OSU Extension intern supports education in the local community

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Hello! My name is Makaela Carter, and I am very excited to be working with the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service in Douglas County as a 4-H intern this summer. I was born and raised in Douglas County, so I am grateful for the opportunity to work within my home community. I graduated from OSU this spring with a bachelor of science in agricultural sciences and a minor in agricultural and food business management. I will be returning to OSU this fall to pursue a master of science in agricultural education, with the goal of becoming a high school agriculture science teacher. 

Makaela Carter smiles for a grad photo taken outside of the Memorial Union on OSU’s campus this past spring. Photo: Jacob McGhehey

I am extremely passionate about teaching others about the agriculture industry and helping students develop leadership skills early on. I hope to give students the resources they need to be successful in life after high school. Because I care deeply about education, I am excited to learn more about different types of educational outreach during my internship with OSU Extension this summer. I hope this experience will broaden my perspective on education and help me become a stronger educator in the future. 

My involvement with 4-H began when I was 11 years old through raising and showing hogs at the Douglas County Fair. While my knowledge of OSU Extension as a whole has been limited, I am eager to expand my understanding throughout this internship. My main tasks this summer will be assisting with preparations leading up to the Douglas County Fair and helping out behind-the-scenes to ensure that it is a successful week for all 4-H members. I am looking forward to being a part of such an important event in the community! 

Since beginning this internship a few weeks ago, 4-H activities have been in full swing. I helped prepare and facilitate our county’s Cloverbud 4-H Camp, where we offered many engaging activities for members. Kids created bug hotels, made bird feeders, performed science experiments, potted flowers and even put together a paper quilt that will be displayed at the fair this August along with the other 4-H static exhibits. 

These three weeks have flown by and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store! 

Douglas County intern, Makaela Carter, smiles for the camera at the end of the 4-H Cloverbud Camp alongside the 4-Hers, volunteers and other OSU intern (Amaya Slay); posing with the paper quilt that the Cloverbuds created. Photo: Katie Baxter

OSU Extension intern explores career aspirations through current opportunities

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Hey everyone! My name is Mackenzie Wesley, and I just wrapped up my sophomore year studying sports management and equine business management at Asbury University in Kentucky. I am so excited to get to serve this summer as the Klamath County Extension foresty intern. Having grown up in the Klamath Basin, I am thrilled at the chance to pour back into the community that has poured so much into me. This is my first year interning with the Klamath County Extension office, but I am excited about everything that is going to happen.  

Mackenzie Wesley leans against a fence post and smiles for a picture. Photo: Tyra Mast

I will be assisting our head of foresty, Kidane Giday, in organizing a county-wide 6th grade education event focused on forestry. During this tour, students will be exposed to various aspects of preservation, maintenance and general outdoor knowledge. This will be done through eight stations that will be set up in a loop with each station touching on a different aspect of natural resources and forestry knowledge. Having taken some natural resource and outdoor skill classes myself, I am incredibly excited to get to create a space where 6th graders will get to learn about the world around them in a hands-on way. This event will also have natural resources and forestry professionals as educators at every station, which is an excellent way to build career awareness. I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to expand my event management skills as that is something that I am looking at going into once I graduate.  

Over the summer I hope to improve my emailing skills, mass communication skills and gain a foundational understanding of what it takes to program and run an event such as the one I explained above. I am also looking forward to spending time learning more about forestry in the Klamath Basin and working with the incredible team at the Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center.