stablecy « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hello again! I am Kylie Siddoway, and I am interning at the OSU Extension office in Baker County Extension this summer.

With only a few weeks left of my internship I have learned a lot and experienced more. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and to have worked with such amazing people. The Extension office and the Baker County Fairboard have been extraordinary. The last week of my internship is August 8-12 and it is also the Baker County Fair!

I have been responsible for major components of the fair such as vendors, volunteers and open class registration. I have communicated with businesses, professionals, and community members. I’ve managed the Facebook page and recorded radio advertisements. The 4-H and FFA staff have helped me to brainstorm new ideas for this year’s fair, and for future fairs. Later this week I will be training all superintendents for open class and ensuring they are prepared for the fair.

Along with all the preparation that goes into our county fair, I have had the opportunity to learn how to run and manage an office. My supervisor, Angela Robb, is an amazing teacher and has explained things to me in a way that I truly learn not only how, but why tasks are done.

This was more than a “copier and coffee” internship. It was a true professional job experience that has enhanced my skills and made me a more well-rounded and hirable employee. I truly enjoyed my internship and the people involved.

I highly recommend being involved with your county 4-H program. There is so much to be learned and so many opportunities to grow as an individual. My county is very livestock-oriented and I am myself, but there is more to 4-H than raising animals and more to Extension than many people realize!

This summer internship has had such a positive impact on me so far. My time spent working for OSU Extension in Malheur County is exciting and significant. It’s been illuminating to become aware of certain issues my county faces and how I can help meet their needs. Learning about different local partners in my county is very important to me as well because it expands my worldview.

Yolanda Diaz (left) helps with the makerspace event.

I’ve gotten to work with youth for makerspace events at summer school and with community partners. Makerspace is a program of the Frontier STEM Hub. It includes 3D printing, laser engraving, vinyl cutting for stickers, and heat-press for making T-shirts. I help students in our county by fostering their technology skills, spreading entrepreneurship awareness and expanding creativity.

The most recent makerspace event was in partnership with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. Interacting with youth through their designs and creations was a great way to learn about their stories and cultures. The makerspace builds a career-connected learning opportunity for youth and families within our county. One thing I love about Extension in Malheur County is that it does its best to be culturally responsive in diverse and effective manners.

Another valuable event that I’ve had the opportunity to help with is a literacy walk. We had about 30 different stations where leaders implemented physical activities to get from one “page” to another. The books that we use for walk-an- read events encourage students in regards to physical activity. I highly enjoy delivering this activity to create an action-oriented experience for children. One of our upcoming walk-and-read events will be Ontario Municipal Airport where families can meet with pilots and learn about different helicopters or planes. It will be a great experience!

Children participate in the walk-and-read literacy event in Malheur County. Photo by Yolanda Diaz.

Being a leader for 4-H participants has also been an eye-opening experience. I enjoy getting to know each student individually and am always impressed by their outstanding skills and service. Chaperoning for the state 4-H Summer Conference at OSU in Corvallis was a good time for me to learn the role of an adult in a different setting and be able to create the best experience possible for 4-Hers. I can’t wait to be a chaperone (and returning alumni) for the state Chief Science Officers Leadership Institute at East Oregon University.

This internship has also taught me to set boundaries and maintain a professional relationship with students who are close to my age, which will be important for my future profession. I also have the opportunity to document and establish fun activities for the Malheur Works internship program in their professional development days. My internship has exposed me to new roles and experiences that help me become more responsible as I’m adulting.

We still have so much planned for this summer, such as county fair and summer camps. I have such an amazing supervisor in Barbara Brody and can’t wait to continue learning with her help. I’m thankful for having such a positive work environment and I thank OSU Extension for giving me this great opportunity.

Hello! My name is Sophia Hampton (she/her/hers), and I’m excited to be working for OSU Extension in Polk and Marion counties with the Mid-Willamette Valley Small Farms Program. I was born and raised in McMinnville and am back in Oregon for the summer after completing my first year at Seattle University.

Although I don’t have a lot of experience with farming and agriculture, as an environmental studies and public affairs double major, I’m finding my time here quite valuable. I’m learning new things every day. I’m working with my incredible supervisor, Hayley White, Extension agriculture program coordinator in Marion and Polk counties. Hayley works with the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District and on the Olea Project, an olive research project.

So far, I’ve been formatting the Mid-Willamette Valley Small Farms newsletter, producing content for and posting to our social media pages, creating marketing materials for various events like the upcoming Small Farm Social at the end of July, and planning an activity for the Polk County Fair in August. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit and plant strawberries at the Marion Polk Food Share Youth Farm and participate in data collection for the Olea Project at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center, as well as work at the Extension table at the West Salem Farmers Market and the Marion County Fair. These experiences have been fun and informative, and I love meeting people, both those who work with Extension and those who don’t. They are so passionate, knowledgeable and generous with their time and conversations.

Planting strawberries at the Marion Polk Food Share Youth Farm. Photo by Hayley White.

I don’t have a clear idea of what I would like my career to look like, but I know I want it to be related to outreach, education and environmental justice, so with this internship, I hope to gain perspective about where I might fit into those fields. Even as I’m just starting, I can feel that happening. I’m grateful to be part of the Extension team this summer, and I can’t wait to continue learning and contributing.

Hello everyone, my name is Theo Sandoz. I just graduated The Dalles High School, and I am headed to OSU as a freshman in the fall. Through OSU Extension 4-H and FFA for the past nine years I have raised and shown beef and swine projects, done countless presentations and created enough projects to fill a treasure chest full of amazing stuff. I was told about the OSU Extension internship program through Lu Seapy, 4-H youth development STEM educator in Wasco County. Lu was my robotics coach at the time. I started about three weeks ago and decided that this summer was for me to learn a little bit about everything.

Lu, who will be supervising me this summer, and I have known each other for a long time. She has been teaching science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) camps since I was in middle school. Now it is my job to help her plan and teach these camps as well as other staff here at Wasco Extension. One of my biggest undertakings is migrant education twice a week. We are teaching four STEM classes a day to the children of migrant workers in The Dalles starting at 6 a.m. This happens on the days that our summer camps do not conflict. This week we also have the Amazing Race, Garden Art, VEX IQ Robotics and many other camps.

I have taken on this Internship on top of my job at our local movie theater and working on our farm. This summer I decided that I was going to use all my available time to work as it is the last time before I must start paying for college. The internship program really does mean a lot to me because I have grown up in 4-H and now I am able to give back to 4-H through Extension as well as participating in my last year. Everyone here at the office is amazing to work with and I am glad that I agreed to come onboard!

Hey there! My name is Briauna Herrick, and I grew up in Springfield, Oregon. I just finished my third year at Oregon State University, where I am majoring in agricultural sciences. I decided on this major because agriculture was something I had grown up involved in, and it just seemed familiar and natural. I grew up on my family’s farm in Springfield, where we have a produce stand and grow a wide variety of crops throughout the year. I’m on track to graduate after the winter term of 2023.

As I have pursued my degree, my passion for agricultural industry has grown. I have had many opportunities to get involved through classes, clubs and jobs. Outside of classes I am involved with two clubs on campus. I served as the treasurer for the Collegiate Farm Bureau club and was just elected president for the upcoming school year. I am also a part of a ministry group called Cru and am currently serving on the leadership team this year. Through my involvement with Cru, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to El Salvador in March where we installed water filters for many families and got to know individuals in different communities. I have been involved with both organizations for the past three years and they have showed me the importance of sharing my direct experience with agriculture and surrounding myself with community.

This summer I am interning with Chrissy Lucas, Extension groundwater protection specialist and outreach coordinator in Extension’s groundwater protection and education program. Since starting my internship a few weeks ago, I have been to two nitrate screenings, learned a lot about wells and septic tanks, cut and stamped many postcards, and learned how to use the copier. More recently, I have been busy with collecting information about wells and septic systems in other counties and preparing for upcoming nitrate screenings. I have scheduled a few nitrate screenings and am looking forward to holding one at my family’s farm later this summer. The past few weeks have consisted of many emails, scheduling events and staying organized.

Before this internship I thought of Extension as a resource for the agricultural industry, but I didn’t know that so much goes into the job. It’s been fun learning more about Extension as a whole and meeting new people. There is a lot of networking, planning, and communicating. I’ve got a busy summer ahead of me and am looking forward to what is to come!

Hi everyone, my name is Maya. I just concluded my first year at OSU where I am in the master’s of public health program, with the health behavior and health promotion option. I will be spending my summer interning with the OSU Extension 4-H program in Lane County. As a previous 4-H member and volunteer this has been a wonderful opportunity to get involved with positive youth development

During the school year, I work with the OSU Center for Health Innovation on the OSU-OHA Surge Epi Bench, collaborating on the COVID-19 response. I am so excited to have a break from work with COVID-19 response this summer and get out to work with youth in my community.

I am passionate about expanding early childhood education programs and child and family social policy. This experience working with 4-H in Lane County has been insightful for my understanding of the importance of advocating for continued local, state and federal funding for youth programming. Reading peer-reviewed articles is one thing but working alongside the community in providing these services has served as an invaluable experience.

Lane County 4-H has been so kind as to trust me with their social media page for the duration of my internship. This opportunity to expand my experience utilizing social media for health promotion and community outreach and engagement has been highly valuable.

I cannot thank enough all of the wonderful staff at OSU Lane County Extension for being so kind and welcoming. I look forward to updating everyone on the jam-packed summer to come. Keep an eye out for us at the Lane County Fair and our upcoming summer day camps.

Go Beavs!

Hey everyone!

My name is Thomas Jacquot (he/him), and I’m an intern in the OSU Extension office in Coos County OSU. I live in North Bend, so I’m back for the summer from college. I just finished my first year at Cornell University, where I’m studying plant sciences. When I graduate, I want to pursue a public-facing career where I can help communities become more resilient and sustainable. An internship with the OSU Extension Service seemed like an incredible opportunity to become more knowledgeable about issues facing my community and the various stakeholders involved in shaping our environment.

Thomas Jacquot uses a machine to collect insects and debris in a dry cranberry bog.

A lot of the work I have been doing has been with Cassie Bouska, our office’s agriculture agent who works closely with cranberry farmers in southern Coos County. I am responsible for managing the pheromone traps for two of our region’s major cranberry pests: blackheaded fireworm and cranberry girdlers. My job is essentially to drive to participating farms and count the number of bugs that have become trapped in the glue trap. Using this data, we will be able to make population curves for the pests, so we can be more informed about effective timing for pesticide applications. This will limit the devastating effects of the pests on crops, as well as limit the amount of pesticides farmers need to use.

I am also dissecting cranberry shoot tips for a pesticide trial. We are trying to determine the effectiveness of three insecticides against tipworm, which is a fly that, at its larval stages, eat the tip of the cranberry plant. This limits the plant’s growth greatly and can lower fruit loads considerably. I am looking for eggs, larvae, cocoons, and dead or live pupae to measure the effectiveness of the pesticides. Having a variety of pesticides to use against pests is incredibly important for combatting pesticide resistance, which can become problematic if farmers overuse just one pesticide type.

On other days I sometimes work with livestock management, where I help weigh sheep for some farmers, and where I help take samples from a regenerative pasture, meaning the feed helps the soil improve over time. Using a mixture of clover and leafy greens, the farmer is improving the soil, increasing farm biomass, and making heavier sheep for market. Incorporating sustainable systems in livestock is a win-win-win!

While my major lends itself to agriculture, I sometimes work with Norma Kline, our office’s forestry management specialist, on landowner visits. With Norma, I have gained experience in disease identification, and have learned some best practices about managing forested land. I was also introduced to Extension’s citizen scientist program. Among other things, the program enlists landowners to do some testing on their land to spot and treat sudden oak death before it spreads. Sudden oak death is incredibly dangerous, to the point it could quarantine all lumber from being sold out of an area. Coos County is heavily dependent on the lumber industry, so this program is incredibly important!

Hello, I am Bobbie Ann Sharp and I am excited to be spending the summer serving the OSU Extension 4-H Program at the Umatilla County office in Pendleton. I just completed my third year at the University of Idaho, where I am studying agriculture communications, science and leadership. I am from Hermiston and was involved in 4-H in Umatilla County for almost 10 years. I’m super excited to see a different side to the 4-H program I grew up in and what molded me into who I am today.

Within the 4-H program, I found my passion for helping others, animals, and agriculture. I was also involved in FFA throughout my high school career. I understand how each program differs from the other and what all you can gain from both.

This summer, I’m ready to see the behind-the-scenes work that makes 4-H in Umatilla County so great. This internship is a huge learning opportunity for me and will help me in deciding the best career path. I am also excited for all the new experiences I will get to learn and witness firsthand. I can’t wait to be a part of the effect this program has on the members.

This summer my big project is creating activities for Camp Cloverbud. I am in charge of contacting volunteers, the location, choosing activities and arranging all the materials needed for the event. I am excited to see how the event goes and how the kids react to the activities I have picked for them. Thanks for welcoming me as an intern and let’s have a great summer.

Hello everyone, my name is Celilo Brun. I grew up in the Hood River Valley where I was a part of OSU Extension 4-H for as long as I can remember, and FFA. After I graduated from high school, I moved to Joseph, Oregon, where took a year off of school to serve as the 2020-21 Oregon FFA state treasurer. As treasurer, I learned more about agriculture while helping kids find their passion in ag and FFA. I also started my own show cattle company, Hurricane Cattle Co. This allowed me to continue to fuel my passion for the livestock industry. Fun fact: I have shown cattle in over 10 states!

Celilo Brun with her steer, Henry and her heifer, Sassy.

This past school year I attended Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) where I am majoring in agriculture communications. On top of my schooling, I am on the Livestock Judging Team, Show Team, and I am the president of our Block and Bridle Club (a collegiate agriculture club). After my sophomore year at EWC I plan on transferring to a university to continue my education and livestock judging.

If you can’t tell, my passions have always been for agriculture and advocating for the future of agriculture. I believe that advocating for the future generations in agriculture is essential because they become the future leaders in agriculture. In my future I would like to be a traveling sales representative for an agriculture-related company, as well as continuing to be an agricultural advocate through seminars and leadership opportunities.

Celilo Brun took pictures at this year’s Eastern Oregon Livestock Show.

I began my internship in the OSU Extension office in Wallowa County at the beginning of June. I jumped right into planning and preparing for the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show. From there I have been helping the SNAP-Ed nutrition program by attending summer lunch programs, the Wallowa County Watershed Festival, and facilitating workshops to kiddos in the Building Healthy Families summer program. During the slower days I have been preparing for the Wallowa County Fair, Tri-County 4-H Camp, and my cattle clinic. This time of year it’s crazy in the Extension office with deadlines, fair, and various events that have been taking place!

Ever since I joined 4-H in fourth grade I thought OSU Extension has been a very positive and welcoming environment. I have attended workshops and done various projects though extension and I never once felt like I wasn’t at home. The staff are some of the hardest working people I know, and they want everyone to succeed in what they are doing. Extension agents and staff are truly superheroes.

Hi there, my name is Caitie Smith. I am a senior at Oregon State University studying agricultural sciences and this fall I will be returning to get my master’s in agriculture education with hopes of becoming a high school ag teacher. This summer I am interning at the OSU Extension office in Linn County with Christy Tanner and Elizabeth Records as my supervisors.

I live in Corvallis at the moment but will be moving to Salem in August. Outside of school I like to hang out with my dog, Filbert, ride horses, garden and play guitar. I am also a first generation U.S. citizen as my parents immigrated to Lake Oswego, Oregon, from South Africa in 1998. I do not come from a background in agriculture but found a passion for it when I came to OSU originally intending to study animal science. Through meeting people, taking classes and joining clubs in the college of agriculture I was able to find my interest in crop science and education.

It is because of my background that I want to become an agriculture teacher and share what I love about the industry with my students that may not be able to find it elsewhere.

Before starting my internship with Extension, I worked for the OSU Wheat Research program for two years. Through this experience I was able to learn what goes into crop breeding and research and how it can be used to increase the food supply. My current internship position with Extension allows me to combine my love of research with my future in education.

I am working with Christy, assistant professor of practice and Extension field crops specialist, on a few different research projects, one of which is assessing damage in grass seed fields from voles. We use a drone to view the field from above and look for weak spots. Another project I am doing some work on this summer involves the effect of different pests on mint. This is done by setting traps in several mint fields throughout the mid-Willamette Valley and then checking them weekly for signs of mint root borers and variegated cutworms.

In addition to my work with Christy, I am working with Elizabeth, community horticulture and Master Gardener educator, and the Extension Master Gardener program. With the help of the Master Gardeners seasonal content team, I am publishing blogs and social media posts about gardening issues and topics throughout the summer. These topics so far include container gardening, native plants, beginner gardening, trendy houseplants and so much more.

I am beyond excited to learn as much as I can this summer about extension and apply it to my future as a teacher!

OSU Extension Internship Program

Author Archives: stablecy

Internship was a meaningful professional experience

Makerspaces, walk-and-read events – it’s been an eye-opening experience

Learning new things every day in Marion and Polk counties

Rising at dawn to help teach STEM in Wasco County

Helping with nitrate screenings and learning about wells and septic tanks

Promoting health and working with youth in Lane County

Conducting research to help fight cranberry pests in Coos County

Back in Umatilla County and ready to intern

Extension agents and staff are my superheroes

Combining my love for research with my future in education

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