Monthly Archives: July 2026

OSU Extension intern serves at the intersection between health and the environment

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Hello! My name is Abby Thorsen, and I am entering my third year at Oregon State University. I am studying human development and family science. After finishing my undergrad, I plan to attend grad school to pursue a career in counseling or therapy. I have loved every part of my internship under the OSU Extension Service Groundwater Protection program in the mid and southern Willamette Valley so far. My favorite part of this internship has been speaking with community members about their water and health and helping them find resources they can utilize.  

Abigail Thorsen smiles for the photo at a nitrate screening clinic. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

Extension has always been a huge part of my life, starting when I joined 4-H at nine years old and continuing until they gave me the boot after graduation. In high school, I was a member of multiple Extension Advisory boards in Polk County, where I learned about how Extension programs are run and funded on a deeper level. I am super excited to be involved with Extension again this year and give back to the program that has had such an impact on my life personally.  

So far, I have learned an incredible amount about well water, groundwater and septic systems, and I have so much to learn still! Understanding the way these systems work together has also opened my eyes to how deeply our environment shapes daily living and health. As I keep learning, I’m excited to explore even more of the connections between environmental systems, public health and human services. It is meaningful to see how these areas overlap and I’m looking forward to continuing to build this understanding.  

Given the numerous water screening clinics we host over the summer, I am also looking forward to traveling across the mid and southern Willamette Valley and seeing areas I have not spent much time in. I am excited to observe not only the environmental differences in this region, but also the varied community demographics. Having the chance to see these contrasts firsthand will help me better understand how environmental conditions and population characteristics intersect, and it will broaden and inform my perspective on the communities that we serve. This knowledge is something I plan to carry with me as I pursue my future career.  

OSU Extension intern goes behind the scenes to give back to her community

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Hello everyone! My name is Shylee Davis, and I am an intern with the OSU Extension Service in Harney County. As local as it gets, I am a born and raised cattle rancher with a passion for the agriculture industry. Growing up around livestock, I quickly discovered that working with animals was where I belonged. This fall, I will be attending Central Oregon Community College to study health sciences before transferring into a veterinary technician program.  

Shylee Davis smiles for a senior photo with her horse. Photo: Brooke Joyce

My involvement with Extension coincides with my involvement in 4-H, which started when I was in the fourth grade through my participation in swine projects and dog training. Because 4-H has played such an important role in my life, I was excited for the opportunity to work with the Extension Service and gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of the program that helped shape me. 4-H has taught me countless valuable life skills including responsibility, leadership and confidence. One of the best parts of this internship has been working alongside an amazing team while continuing to grow my passion for animal science and youth development. Throughout this summer, I have had the opportunity to assist with a wide variety of projects. I began by helping design and paint waves on the Harney County Historical Society’s Fourth of July float; Crossing of the Delaware. I have also helped set up livestock panels at the fairgrounds in preparation for the county fair in September. Aside from these activities, most of my time has been spent in the Extension office where I have worked on many different projects. Through Canva, I have designed buttons and T-shirts for our 4-H Day Camp, held July 13-16. More recently, I have been organizing office storage areas and sorting through historical records and books.  

As the summer continues, I will be helping prepare for the Harney County Fair. I am especially excited about helping with fair preparations because, although I have spent many years exhibiting livestock, this internship has given me the opportunity to experience everything that happens behind the scenes. I have a new appreciation for the planning, teamwork and dedication required to make the fair a success.  

Balancing this internship with my own market and breeding livestock projects through FFA has been both challenging and rewarding. It has strengthened my time management skills and allowed me to experience the fair process from both the exhibitor and organizer’s perspectives. This internship has been an incredible learning experience and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to give back to the program that has given so much to me. I look forward to continuing to learn, serve my community and help make this year’s Harney County Fair a great success.   

OSU Extension intern seeks to communicate and engage with the community

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Hello everyone! My name is Nakayda Jacobs, and I am a senior at Oregon State University studying natural resources with a focus in agricultural and natural resources communications. This summer, I have the great pleasure of being part of the Groundwater Protection and Education team with OSU Extension in the mid and southern Willamette Valley. 

OSU Extension intern, Nakayda Jacobs tabling at the Millersburg Farmers’ Market. Photo: Colleen Lovdokken

One thing to know about me is that I enjoy a little bit of everything and love working at the intersection of different disciplines. One of my favorite parts of this internship has been seeing how natural science and human health come together. I also enjoy working alongside a team of peers with diverse academic backgrounds, each bringing a unique perspective and expertise to the program. Every day has allowed me to learn something new, whether it’s about groundwater, public health or what community outreach really looks like. 

As part of the groundwater team, I get to apply what I’ve learned in soil science and water resources to real-world issues involving private well water and septic systems. It’s been exciting to see how the concepts I’ve learned in the classroom directly translate into helping communities make informed decisions about their drinking water. Working for OSU Extension has been especially rewarding because it allows me to put my education into practice while continuing to learn through hands-on experience and community engagement. 

One unexpected challenge has been learning how to communicate the bitter with the sweet. As someone passionate about science communication, it can be challenging when the information I share has the potential to affect someone’s daily life or livelihood. While I love spending time at community events and farmers’ markets talking with people about topics I’m passionate about, an important part of this work is helping people understand potential risks to their health and water quality. Those conversations require empathy, patience and the ability to explain technical information in a way that is both accurate and approachable. 

Throughout this summer, I hope to continue developing my communication skills and become more confident in having meaningful conversations with a wide variety of audiences. I’m excited to keep learning from my team, strengthen my outreach experience and continue growing as both a natural resource professional and science communicator. 

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.