Umatilla County « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hi again! For those of you I missed last time around, my name is Riley Hampton. This is my
second summer working with the Oregon State University Extension Internship Program. This
summer, I have had the opportunity to work with Umatilla County 4-H!

A Cloverbud rabbit showman proudly shows off their project during the Umatilla County Fair. Photo: Shauna Newman

This summer has been a fun, but busy one. Two weeks ago, Umatilla County 4-H participated in
the Umatilla County Fair, where youth participated in many activities and contests all week long.
From Food Preservation to Dairy Showmanship, 4-H members exhibited their skills, knowledge
and sportsmanship all fair long.

One new contest this year was dedicated to our youngest members of 4-H. Cloverbud Show and
Tell debuted this year, allowing 4-Hers from the ages of 5-8 to bring in their pets (anything from
turkeys to hamsters) and show them off. The goal of Show and Tell was to teach Cloverbuds the
care and attention it takes to bring an animal to the fair, as well as to get them started in the
world of Small Animal Showmanship. Well, I do hope Cloverbud Show and Tell lived up to its
goals, especially considering I was the judge!

In all seriousness, this summer has been an amazing experience. I learned so much, met tons of
new 4-Hers and worked beside some of the best people all summer long. I’d like to thank my
supervisor, Shauna Newman. This is her last year with 4-H, and she has been absolutely
amazing. I am so thankful for this summer with Oregon State University Extension so far, and so
excited for the rest of the summer to come.

My summer with Oregon State University Extension has been very fulfilling, and I have learned
a lot through this experience. My knowledge has deepened, and I have created new connections
with my community. I am grateful for this opportunity and the memories I made.

Ashley Treadwell assists students in preparing snacks after a tour through the garden. Photo: Rachel Sorensen

One of my favorite parts of my internship was visiting elementary schools each week to teach the
Growing Healthy Kids curriculum to 1st graders. During the final week, we took the students to
the community garden so they could see firsthand how food is grown. My supervisor, volunteers
and co-workers each led small groups of students through the garden, pointing out the various
fruits and vegetables being cultivated. The students were ecstatic and eager to learn about
everything the garden had to offer.

After the tour, we provided snacks and refreshments. Using Food Hero recipes, we prepared
ranch, black bean dip and hummus to spread on crackers; then the students decorated their
crackers with an assortment of vegetables. Each group thoroughly enjoyed their time in the
garden and walked away having learned a lot.

One challenge I overcame during my internship this year was becoming more comfortable
speaking in front of large groups. While I know there is still room for growth, I feel my skills
have become more solid and I have gained greater confidence. This is a skill I can directly apply
to many areas of my life, whether in college or in my future career and one that will be valuable
for a lifetime.

A key takeaway that I have from my time at Extension is that a positive change within a
community begins with access to resources. Many people have the motivation to live healthier
lives, but may not know where to begin. Oregon State University Extension offers guidance and
resources to help bridge that gap and empower individuals to make that step.

-Ashley Treadwell

Hello again!

My name is Madeline Breiling, and I am now in my last week as a SNAP-Ed intern. Throughout my internship this summer, I have had the opportunity to assist and take the lead on many projects throughout Umatilla County. Reflecting on the work I’ve done this summer and in my past summers working with OSU Extension, I am very grateful that I’ve been exposed to the wide variety of outreach, engagement and support that OSU Extension brings to our communities in Umatilla County. Before applying for this internship three years ago, I had never heard of OSU Extension and now I tell everyone I know to get in contact with their local extension office.

Two people wearing food hero shirts running a table labeled food hero serving salsa. — Gage Meagher and Madeline Breiling at the Milton Freewater Farmers Market. Photo- Mars Alderson

This summer, I have had the opportunity to hand out free food samples and Food Hero recipes at both the Pendleton Farmers Market and the Milton Freewater Farmers Market. I’ve had a Food Hero table at both of these markets for the last two years, so I was excited to be back again this year. It has been fun to match recipes to the local fruits and vegetables that people can buy at the market. It has also been nice to develop more of a relationship with the local farmers and use their produce in our samples. At the Pendleton market, we also started a scavenger hunt where kids find stuffed fruits and vegetables that are hidden in different market booths. This is a lot of fun for the kids and an easy way to encourage families to stop at all of the booths and talk to the local farmers.

I also have had the opportunity to help teach the Growing Healthy Kids curriculum at the Hermiston summer schools and the Kids in the Kitchen curriculum in Athena. Over the last seven weeks of both classes, it has been really rewarding to see the kids gain more confidence in their cooking skills and become more adventurous eaters. Students come back each week to tell us how they have been cooking with their families at home. This week is the last week of our Growing Healthy Kids classes, and we get to take the students on a field trip to the community garden in Hermiston. They get to meet with some of the Master Gardeners and learn more about how to grow some of the fruits and vegetables that they’ve been cooking with. For the last week of the Kids in the Kitchen classes, they get to cook an entire three-course meal.

Kids sitting around a table learning about food by a girl in a Food Hero shirt — Madeline Breiling teaching the Growing Healthy Kids curriculum at the Hermiston summer school. Photo- Carolina Muniz.pdf

Last year, I handed out Food Hero food samples, recipes and information at the Pendleton food pantry and I’m glad I had the opportunity to do that again this year. In addition to the Pendleton food pantry, this year I also handed out information to the Blue Mountain Community College food pantry in Pendleton. It’s fun to figure out what Food Hero recipes can be made using the ingredients that the food pantries have excess of and to encourage people to take the ingredients.

This summer has truly flown by, and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve had through OSU Extension. I want to thank Shevon Hatcher, Carolina Muniz, Karen Wagner and all of the other Umatilla County OSU Extension employees who have made my last three summers enjoyable and educational.

Hello! My name is Riley Hampton and I’m an Umatilla County 4-H Intern this
year. I’m an incoming Junior at Southern Oregon University in the emerging media and
design program. This is my second year working with OSU Extension through the
summer internship program.

Rylee Martin presenting her cupcakes during Cupcake Wars at Umatilla County’s PreFair. Photo: Riley Hampton

Umatilla County is already gearing up in the 4-H world, with last Thursday
marking the end of Umatilla County Pre-Fair!

Last week we held live food contests, where contestants prepared everything
from a steak dinner to a dozen cupcakes! Thank you contestants, for my spaghetti and
chimichurri breakfasts.

Throughout the week our Fashion Revue and Presentation contestants showed
up in numbers. We had a combined 40 more contestants than last year, which made for
a busy week!

Thursday morning, I got the opportunity to work with 4-H Youth Leaders while
meeting with the future members of 4-H during Cloverbud Camp. Ambassadors and
volunteers led different stations, teaching the kids about different parts of 4-H in a fun
and engaging way. I’d like to thank my youth leaders as well as the kids who came to
make the day the success that it was.

Well, that’s all for me (for now). Hope to see you at the 2025 Umatilla County
Fair, August 6-9th in Hermiston, Oregon!

My name is Ashley Treadwell, and I live in Hermiston, Umatilla County. I just finished my
second year at Eastern Oregon University, and this fall I’ll start the nursing program there in
partnership with Oregon Health & Science University. I’ve loved my time in college and can’t
wait to blend my nursing studies with helping my community.

Ashley Treadwell hands out take-home baking kits to local high schoolers. Photo: Angie Treadwell

Last summer, I interned with OSU Extension, and I enjoyed it so much that I came back
this year. Working with Extension has let me mix my interest in health with community outreach.
One of my favorite parts has been bringing Food Hero recipes into cooking classes at the local
high school. Food Hero is a program by Oregon State University Extension that shares easy,
healthy and affordable recipes in both English and Spanish.

In my cooking classes, I assist students in preparing Food Hero recipes. For example, in
our last class, we made whole‑wheat blueberry muffins. Then, I gave each student all the
ingredients to take home so they could make the muffins again with their families. It was great to
see the students excited to cook and confident to try the recipe at home.

I’ve also worked with elementary students, teaching the Growing Healthy Kids
curriculum during summer school at two Hermiston schools each week. My supervisor, a
coworker and I visit to lead hands-on nutrition lessons. We begin with a fun physical activity tied
to the day’s theme, then show a short video and finish with the kids making and tasting a simple
Food Hero recipe. This approach helps students learn through movement, visuals and flavor,
making healthy eating both accessible and fun for young learners.

Looking ahead, I want to bring Food Hero into more classrooms and community
programs. I’m also excited to start my nursing education this fall. My big goal is to combine
nursing with public health outreach, helping families eat healthier, feel better and learn how
cooking can improve their lives. Prevention is key to preventing future health issues and
allowing for an active and engaged life.

Hi everyone!

My name is Madeline Breiling, and this is my third year as a SNAP-Ed intern in Umatilla County. I
just finished my third year at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where I study
mathematics, astronomy and data science. I am very excited to be back in my hometown of
Pendleton, working with the OSU Extension office to serve the community.

Students of the *Kids in the Kitchen* class in Athena work at preparing tasty cauliflower patties. Photo: Madeline Breiling

I am now in my eighth week of my internship. So far, I have had the opportunity to work on a
wide variety of projects. I have been assisting with a workout class called Strong People
designed for older adults in Pendleton. This class is very different from the rest of the work I
have done in previous years of this internship because the class is exercise-based rather than
food-based, like many of our other classes. I really enjoyed helping with the class and seeing
that SNAP-Ed isn’t just about food and nutrition. In my previous years of the internship, I have
mainly worked with the elementary school age group, so I have been excited to interact with
and serve the older adults in my community.

I have also been able to help with our new Kids in the Kitchen class with middle schoolers in
Athena. This is my first time helping with a longer-term class with the middle school age group,
and it has been a lot of fun to see their cooking skills develop each week. We try to allow them
to make as many of their own choices in the recipe as possible. This is fun because it allows
them to begin to learn how to actually cook rather than just learning how to follow recipes.
I have also had the opportunity to continue projects from the previous years of my internship,
including handing out free food samples and recipes at the Pendleton and Milton Freewater
farmers markets, and helping to teach nutrition and cooking classes to kindergarteners at the
Hermiston summer schools.

As the summer progresses, I am very excited to continue with all of these projects and start
some new ones.

Hello! My name is Riley Hampton. This summer I served as the 4-H Intern for Oregon State Extension in Umatilla County. I am super grateful for my time working with OSU Extension this year. This summer has been full of amazing and fun work.
This summer internship was bookended by two fairs. At the beginning of the summer, I was able to help with our very first pre-fair, where exhibitors were able to compete in food contests, public speaking, fashion revue and more. This, being the first pre-fair for Umatilla County, was a learning experience for all and I am very proud of how it turned out.

4-H Club member eating a blue cupcake at Cupcake Wars — 4-H Club member at Cupcake Wars. Photo: Riley Hampton

During the week of pre-fair, I was able to lead Cloverbud Camp, a day camp for young 4-H members. The activities I designed were made with learning and doing in mind. Cloverbuds learned about plants and plant care while taking home their very own hanging plant. They learned about soil profiles at snack time, participated in a science experiment that resulted in their very own lava lamp and they created art that they were then able to turn into fair. Overall, I am very proud of my work with pre-fair and Cloverbud Camp.
With pre-fair over, focus now shifted to the Umatilla County Fair. But before we could devote too much time to the week, there were a few more competitions that needed our attention. After nine years of being an active 4-H member, this was my first year ever seeing 4-H dog show, horse showmanship and shooting sports!
Now, finally, the big one. Umatilla County Fair took place publicly from August 7th to the 10th. However, the fair truly began far before the 7th. Throughout the week, I strove to help in any way I could. This allowed me to really see what it takes to run a fair after participating in them for so long. I have a newfound respect for all those who understand the work it takes to organize an event of this size.
Genuinely, this summer has been amazing. I have had such a good time working as an OSU Extension Intern and I hope to continue this experience in the years to come. So, goodbye for now, and happy end-of-summer to all!

My summer with OSU Extension has been amazing! I have learned a lot and made many new connections. My knowledge has become deeper and I am grateful for every experience that I have had working here.

Ashley Treadwell and Madeline Breiling at the Oregon State Extension farmers market booth in Pendleton. Photo: Carolina Muniz

The goal that I had going into this internship was integrating Food Hero recipes into the high school demographics. So, I went to the high school summer school classes and taught them some recipes. I did five classes for the morning group of students and two for the afternoon group. For the morning classes I focused on demonstrating breakfast recipes. For example, we made Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies, zucchini muffins, and smoothies to name a few. For the afternoon classes I did One Pan Chicken Alfredo and Any berry Sauce, which went on top of the ice cream they made the last day of class. Each class I instructed the students enjoyed, which makes me hopeful that they will use these recipes at home.

One part of this internship I enjoyed was teaching the Growing Healthy Kids Curriculum to 2nd graders in Umatilla. My supervisor, Carolina, presented the slides and I led the physical activities. Every time, all the kids were eager to participate in the exercise I had chosen for the specific lesson. After the lesson was taught, we immediately dove into making a food hero recipe that correlated. Most of them were willing to try new foods, which they ended up taking a liking to.

One struggle I overcame working in this internship was presenting in front of groups. Although I had previous practice with talking in front of large groups, I still was not completely comfortable. Through the cooking classes that I was involved in, I believe this skill has strengthened and I am far better than when I began. This internship pushed me to develop many skills that were weak, of which I am appreciative. This will help prepare me for college and my future career.

A key takeaway I have from my time at the extension is that education is important within the community and people are willing to learn. Many are trying to better themselves and lead a healthier lifestyle, but just need a little help. OSU Extension provides this help to those who seek it, it is a great resource.

-Ashley Treadwell

Hello! My name is Riley Hampton, I just finished my first year at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. I am super excited to start my internship with Oregon State University Extension. I am working this summer with the 4-H program in Umatilla County, an organization I am very familiar with as I have been a member of Umatilla 4-H since I was 9 years old.

Clay Pig made by 4-Her Katie Knudsen. Photo: Riley Hampton

Even though the summer just started, Umatilla County 4-H is in full swing. The fair is just around the corner, and just last week was our very first Umatilla County 4-H Pre-Fair. Exhibitors competed in Food Preparation Contests, Fashion Revue, Table Setting, and Presentations. It was amazing to see all the involvement by the 4-H members this past week.

Another first for Umatilla County 4-H, was our inaugural Cupcake Wars competition, which took place on Thursday of Pre-Fair. 4-H Members compete in teams of two and together create a dozen themed cupcakes in two hours. This year’s themes were “vacation” and “Dr. Seuss”. I was very impressed with the work these members presented, even if I was very full of cupcakes by the end of the day.

This year marks the 3^rd annual Camp Cloverbud, and I was lucky enough to be able to lead it on the last day of Pre-Fair. Twenty Cloverbuds came to participate in five educational activity stations, taking home five different projects that can be entered into fair. One of my goals regarding Camp Cloverbud was to teach Cloverbuds about many different parts of 4-H activities. Campers participated in an art project, livestock project, plant project and even a science experiment!

I am currently studying emerging media and digital arts at Southern Oregon University, with hopes of becoming a digital artist and animation showrunner. I am using my design experience to create new displays that will be presented at the Umatilla County Fair. Wish me luck!

I am super proud of everything that happened during Pre-Fair and I’m very excited for the rest of the summer! I am located at the OSU Extension Office in Hermiston. I hope to meet you all this summer at Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston, Oregon, August 7-10. Stay cool and see you soon.

My name is Madeline Breiling and I’m now in my last week of my OSU Extension summer internship in Umatilla County. This summer has gone by so quickly with so many learning opportunities and fun events. I can’t believe my internship is almost over. Throughout the summer, I have had the opportunity to plan and assist with many projects. I was able to continue many of the projects I started and enjoyed last year, as well as start many new and exciting projects for this summer.

Interns Madeline Breiling (left) and Ashley Treadwell (right) in Umatilla county at the Pendleton farmers market. Photo: Carolina Muniz

At the very beginning of my internship, I got to assist with Extension’s table at the Morrow County Children’s Fair in Boardman. We did a food sampling of two different recipes that are healthier alternatives to common afterschool snacks. We also helped children plant radish seeds to start their very own garden. This was a great opportunity to jump straight into community engagement in the first couple of days of my internship.

Throughout my internship, I have had the wonderful opportunity to assist with many classes being taught all over the county by the Umatilla County SNAP-Ed team. I got to assist with smoothie making and seed planting with the Head Start kids at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. This was a very unique opportunity because this is the only event or class I’ve had the opportunity to do with preschool age children.

I also had the opportunity to assist with the Hydromania camp in Hermiston. Master Gardeners and researchers from the Extension office in Hermiston led an insect class. Then the SNAP-Ed team led a smoothie making class using the blender bike. This got the kids at the Hydromania camp very excited about healthy eating and physical activity.

Last summer, I handed out free food samples and educated the public about Food Hero at the Pendleton Farmers Market and the Milton-Freewater Farmers Market. This summer, I had the opportunity to expand that project by also handing out samples and educating the public about Food Hero at the Athena Farmers Market. I also got to assist with the Hermiston Farmers Market. I’ve always loved attending farmers markets and last summer I really enjoyed having a Food Hero table at the farmers market, so I am very excited I had the opportunity to continue and expand that project.

The project I am the proudest of is my work with St. Mary’s Outreach in Pendleton this summer. I got to hand out free food samples to everyone getting food from the food bank and educate them on Food Hero. I also gave the food bank many Food Hero resources to hand out to the public even when an OSU representative can’t be present. This included Food Hero tortilla recipes to tape to the bags of masa, Food Hero instructions for how to cook dried beans that are now included in every box of food the food bank hands out, and instructions for how to safely cook food in the microwave to give to members of the public who don’t have access to a stove or oven. I felt this project was very fulfilling because I felt that some of these community members would really benefit from having Food Hero resources. I also felt that my work has a more lasting impact because St. Mary’s Outreach continues to hand out the Food Hero resources I left with them to everyone who comes to get food.

Overall, I feel very proud of my work with OSU Extension this summer. I was able to take the lead on a variety of projects as well as assist team members with projects they were working on. I want to thank Shevon Hatcher for being the best person to share an office space with and for knowing the answer to any question you could think to ask, Carolina Muniz for supporting me in my projects and Karen Wagner for introducing new ideas to the Umatilla County SNAP-Ed team.

OSU Extension Internship Program

Category Archives: Umatilla County

OSU Extension intern embraces 4-H spirit at the Umatilla County Fair

OSU Extension intern supports communities through resource access

Empowering kids and communities through food and fun

OSU Extension intern shares highlights from a busy 4-H pre-fair week

OSU Extension intern combines nursing aspirations with nutrition education

OSU Extension intern engages all ages in healthy living

Extension intern reflects on summer of fairs

OSU Extension intern brings Food Hero to high school

OSU Extension intern brings Cupcake Wars to Umatilla County pre-fair

OSU Extension intern involved in outreach at food pantry in Pendleton

Contact Info