OSU Extension Internship Program «

Hi! My name is Natalie Padilla, and I am currently an intern with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Clackamas County. I graduated from high school this year and am about to enter my first year of college at Oregon State University in the fall. Currently, I am hoping to study fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences. One of the main goals I have for this internship is to learn how to talk to different types of people and continue to pass my knowledge on to others.

A girl standing behind a booth that has many interactive items and pamphlets — Natalie tabling at the First City Celebration in Oregon City. Photo: Macy Jones

Working with the SNAP-Ed and Family and Community Health has already educated me on things like nutrition, food safety and community outreach. So far, I have started being one of the leaders for the Walk with Ease program. We meet twice a week to provide information about staying healthy with arthritis, while also having dedicated time for stretching and walking. We also find time to include a Food Hero recipe to give out to participants for one of the two-day sessions. The participants can sample the dish and take home the recipe to recreate too. They are also provided with the nutritional and relevant food safety information.

Not only have I been able to help with Walk with Ease, but I have also been able to help with OC’s Free Food Markets at the DHS office. We hand out small bags highlighting different recipes, fruits or vegetables and matching spice or herb packets for recipes that month. Another opportunity we had was going to teach about MyPlate to elementary and middle schoolers at Naas Elementary School.

Our most recent tabling event was the Oregon City First City Celebration. Where Macy, I and others were able to tell observers about OSU Extension and the different programs that we offer! We had them spin a wheel and answer questions for a prize, let them take flyers and many other things. It was an overall great experience that allowed us to teach even more about Extension!

I am excited for even more opportunities to teach other people important knowledge and information.

Hi, my name is Cydney Stables, and I am the Agritourism intern for the Marion, Polk and Yamhill County offices. I recently graduated from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa with bachelor’s degrees in agricultural business, business administration, communications and economics. After this internship, I plan to attend Kansas State University to continue my education by pursuing a master’s in agricultural economics. My research thesis for my master’s will be focused on the economics surrounding Agritourism operations, which has made this internship a great fit for my future plans!

A girl standing behind a table for OSU Extnesion Service with swag on it. — Tabling for surveys at Kiger Island Blues Blueberry Farm Photo: Mindi Miller Farm

So far, this internship has provided me with insight on various topics, critical issues and farm styles within the Agritourism sector. I have had the opportunity to hear from industry stakeholders, including supporting community groups, Extension staff, customers of Agritourism operations and farmers themselves about the benefits and drawbacks of being involved in this industry.

A major part of my internship includes traveling to farms across the state of Oregon to survey customers about their experiences. So far, I have toured and surveyed at three different locations including a lavender farm stand operation in Yamhill, a blueberry u-pick farm in Corvallis and a cidery and tasting room in Grants Pass. Each of these experiences have provided me with the opportunity to speak with numerous customers who attend these Agritourism operations, and I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact these on-farm experiences have on their outlook of agriculture.

Green pears hanging on a tree over a fence — Pears grown at Blossom Barn Cidery in Grants Pass. Photo: Cydney Stables

I am excited to continue my internship and to expand my knowledge and experiences with Agritourism operations throughout Oregon.

Hi everyone, Jackie Ruff again!

It has been a very busy summer in the Groundwater Education Program! We have only done about a third of our events but have done over 150 nitrate screenings of well water. Our goal is to do 500 nitrate tests by the end of the summer. This goal definitely seemed a bit ambitious at the beginning of the summer. But being this far along already, and with most of our bigger events still to come, I am confident we can reach this goal.

So far, we have had events in Linn, Benton, Marion, Lincoln and Polk counties. We have gone to farmers markets, community festivals, fairs and concerts in the park. Our busiest event so far was the Tri County Business Expo & Harrisburg, where we did about 70 tests! This event was a ton of fun. I got to talk to so many people about their wells and enjoy a lovely concert while doing so. Talking with community members is one of my favorite parts of this internship. I love when I can help people find the answers to their questions on wells and just hearing about so many different peoples’ experiences. At the Tri County Business Expo & Harrisburg Summer Sounds, we talked to almost 250 different people! We stayed very busy the whole event, but it was so much fun.

A girl talking to 2 community members infront of a booth outside — Jackie talking to community members at the Tri County Business Expo & Harrisburg Summer Sounds. Photo: Chrissy Lucas

I am definitely looking forward to doing more events over in Lincoln County on the coast. Although the drive there from Corvallis can be a bit long, the coast is one of my favorite spots. And we do not get to do a ton of events out there during the rest of the year.

I am also looking forward to the Corvallis neighborhood screening we scheduled for early September. Usually, we attend events that are already happening, such as farmers markets, to do nitrate screenings. For this event, we were invited by a homeowner to host a pop-up screening at her home. It has been a very different experience planning the screening with her directly. I am excited to see the turn out we get, since I have never done a neighborhood pop up like this before.

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.

My name is Lucia Rocha, and as a 38-year-old mother of two, I am not what usually comes to
mind when you think of a typical college intern. My road to higher education hasn’t been easy
or linear. It’s been shaped by grief, perseverance and a deep desire to create a life of purpose
for myself and my family.

Lucia Rocha smiling with her two children at her recent graduation from Chemeketa Community College. Photo: Rosy VanHorn

Growing up in a low-income household, college wasn’t something my parents could afford for
me. I entered the workforce right after high school and quickly worked my way up. Then, as I
began to grow in my career, my mother and I were in a car accident that took her life.
Heartbroken, I pushed forward and continued working hard and trying to rebuild my life.

My perseverance and potential were recognized by the company’s owner, who awarded me a
small scholarship. This reignited my dreams of pursuing a higher education. I enrolled in college
and worked full-time while attending school full-time, determined to succeed. But just as I was
nearing the completion of my degree, the company went out of business. I lost my job,
scholarship and once again had to put my education on hold.

I soon started a new job, worked hard and found stability in my career. Shortly after, I became a
mother, and my dreams of a higher education were pushed even further back. Just as I was
preparing for a promotion, my brother and 12-year-old niece passed away unexpectedly. Their
loss reminded me just how fragile life is and forced me to reflect on what truly mattered.
In late 2023, I made the difficult decision to leave behind the career I had worked so hard to
build and return to school full-time. Although not an easy choice, it was the best choice for my
children and me. I wanted them to see that it’s never too late to start over or chase your
dreams.

My hard work and dedication paid off. This June, I received my associate’s degree in business
from Chemeketa Community College. I was also awarded the Ford Family Foundation
Opportunity Scholarship to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Oregon State University. I have the
honor of interning with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County, where
I support the Juntos and Open Campus programs. I’ve spent much of my life in service to
others, through my work at the Oregon Department of Human Services, creating a youth group
at my church, co-founding a nonprofit and volunteering in my children’s schools.

Jerry Phillips presenting Lucia Rocha with an awared with a nlue curtain behind them. — Jerry Phillips presents Lucia Rocha with an award from the Ford Foundation Scholarship Award Ceremony. Photo: Keri Blue Photography

This internship has given me something new: the opportunity to serve my community while
growing in my role as a student and professional. So far, I’ve been helping with outreach to high
school graduates, guiding them through college orientation, registering for classes and
whatever they may need as they step into their future. I’ve reached out to students and
families in both English and Spanish, offering support in a way that feels natural to who I am.
It’s been rewarding to be that helping hand, especially for families who might otherwise feel
unsure about navigating these systems.

What I’ve appreciated most is having a unique opportunity to connect with students, parents
and the passionate professionals I’m learning from. I am currently in all their shoes, which
allows me to connect with them in a way that not all interns can. However, even with my
experience, I’m still growing, I’m still learning and I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity.
This internship isn’t just a stepping stone, it’s part of a bigger journey, a reminder that starting
over isn’t failure; it’s a choice. And sometimes, it’s the bravest one we can make. I am excited
for the future, both in and out of this internship.

Hi, my name is Macy Jones, and this summer I am an intern for Oregon State University
Extension Service in Clackamas County; mainly working with Family and Community Health.
This is my first time interning and so far, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I currently attend Oregon
State University and will be a 2nd year student studying agricultural and food business
management. I have always enjoyed having a sense of community and building relationships
with others and this role does a great job of allowing me to branch out.

Macy Jones tabling at the First City Celebration in Oregon City. Photo: Natalie Padilla

Thus far, this position has allowed me to be more active in the community and helped me start
to develop more communication skills. My position includes being a co-leader with the Walk
with Ease program, which is focused on helping older adults walk with arthritis, Tabling events,
Free Food Markets and advancing my creative and organizational skills.

The Walk with Ease program meets twice a week for about an hour and is designed to support
older adults in improving their health and physical activity, particularly those managing
arthritis. As a co-leader, I help guide participants through a variety of activities such as warm up
stretches, a group walk and cool down stretches. We’ve also integrated resources from the
Food Hero website into the program by featuring a Food Hero Monthly newsletter and
distributing an incentive item on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, we hand out a related recipe to
reinforce healthy habits. In addition to Walk with Ease, I have also assisted with the Free Food
Market, which takes place on the second Tuesday of each month. At these events, we highlight
a Food Hero recipe that participants can prepare using ingredients they receive from the
market. So far, this role has allowed me to connect more deeply with the community and
strengthen my public speaking and communication skills.

Another event I have participated in while being an intern at Clackamas County is the Oregon
City First event. At this event, I helped run the Oregon State Extension booth where I got to
inform the public about Extension and all it has to offer. Before signing up for the event, the
other intern, Natalie, and I met with each department of Extension to gather information we
could then give to the public. This was a great learning experience as before this role I was not
aware of what all Extensions had to offer. At the event, we got to pass out flyers as well as
spread the word of the different types of services not only FCH provides but also Extension as a
whole.

Overall, this internship so far has been very beneficial, and I am excited to keep learning and
advancing my skills.

Hello! My name is Dean Burwash, I am a freshman at Oregon State University,
majoring in natural resources. I am an intern for the Oregon State University Extension
Service in Polk County. I have worked for OSU Extension previously as a Summer
Education Assistant at the Oregon Outdoor Education Center (formerly the Oregon 4-H
Center), where I taught at camps and helped manage the facility. I have been very
involved in 4-H for the last eight years, where I have served as a Polk County and 4-H
State Ambassador, camp counselor and 4-H intern. I have also attended numerous
conferences and taught various classes.

Dean Burwash at the Oregon 4-H Center. Photo: Sarah LaDuke

I just attended the 4-H Summer Conference for the last time as a youth, and I will
be a Junior Camp Director at both 4-H Wild West Camps this summer. I have been
going to camp since I joined 4-H. This year for the fair, I plan to enter some photos, a
wood mosaic (which is incomplete) and other miscellaneous static exhibits.
Previously, I worked for Oregon State University as a student employee at the
Oregon 4-H Center. I spent almost every night last summer living there and getting to
participate in each camp beyond the normal workday. I taught all kinds of activities and
classes, including archery, leatherworking, ropes course, big swings, arts & crafts and
canoes. This was my first job, and I feel like it gave me some unrealistic work standards
because of my love for camp. I am glad that I now have a wider range of work
experience types. This summer is primarily online and last summer was spent teaching
outdoors all the time.

This summer, for my internship, I am primarily working on grant applications to
begin with. These include requests from 4-H clubs, getting robotics curriculum,
purchasing incubators and funding art/welding classes. I am looking forward to
improving my grant application skills and hopefully seeing positive results. I am also
excited to be creating social media posts and learning how to use our new embroidery
machine! So far, I have started some grant applications, and I am working on finding
more.

Hello!

My name is Taiva Steed, and I’m heading into my third year as a natural resources
student with an emphasis in communications and conflict resolution at Oregon State University. I
am originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, but Oregon won me over with its mountains,
oceans and huge trees!

Taiva Steed working at the Brownsville Farmers Market. Photo: Jessalyn Horton

In the future, I hope to work as an environmental mediator, someone who helps people
come together to solve environmental and social challenges. I’m particularly interested in
working internationally and for people’s voices that are often underrepresented in these
conversations. This is why working for OSU Extension is perfect for me because it allows me to
connect with different communities and learning from people with all kinds of perspectives.

This is my first summer as an intern for OSU Extension, and I am working for the
Groundwater Protection Program out of Benton County. So far, I have been traveling to farmers
markets across Oregon, offering free nitrate screenings for well water and sharing educational
materials to community members about healthy drinking water, wells and septic systems. It has
been such a fun way to spend time outdoors, meeting new people and learning more about
Oregon! I have only been to a handful of events so far, but I already feel how meaningful this
work is, and how much I still have to learn.

When I am not working at a screening clinic, I am helping plan future events. This
includes figuring out where we will go next, making social media posts and designing postcards
and flyers to help advertise these events. I also spend time in the office learning about all things
groundwater, wells and septic systems. Coming from a city background, most of this is brand
new to me, and it has broadened my scope of the different ways people live and how those
differences can impact someone’s health and daily concerns.

I’m excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to explore what OSU Extension has to offer. I
have plans to explore the other OSU Extension programs like Small Farms and Master
Gardeners. I’m looking forward to more farmers markets, more community conversations and
continuing to learn why it’s important to protect our water!

Hello, my name is Abigail Cape, and this is my second-year interning for Oregon State
University Extension Service Polk County Extension in Dallas, OR. I am going into my third year at
Oregon State University majoring in psychology. After I graduate, as of right now I am hoping to go to
graduate school to get my doctoral degree in counseling psychology. For my future career I hope to either
have a career as a counselor with a specialty in trauma or becoming a counselor for teens and young
adults, with a Christian backing. Along with studying psychology, I am also going into my third year in
the clarinet section of the Oregon State University Marching Band, this is an activity that I just started
doing while at Oregon State and I have learned and grown so much in. This is also an area both on and off
campus where I am constantly making new connections as well as new friends. My past experience with
Oregon State Extension primarily is being a member of 4-H for nine years, volunteering with 4-H
Extension for a year and my internship with Extension last year. I was also granted the opportunity to take
a class on Extension that is taught by Oregon State. Throughout my time in 4-H I showed rabbits, bred
and owned market rabbits, turkeys and bred and owned market turkeys, as well as various leadership
roles.

Students at the Polk County Jr. Master Gardeners Camp begin learning about floral arrangements. Photo: Abigail Cape

Over this summer I hope to continue to learn about the various aspects of behind the scenes work
that goes into 4-H and Extension. In my internship last year, I was able to learn so much and I am
eternally grateful to have this opportunity for the second year in a row. Last year I worked with multiple
different project groups that I had never worked with before in the pre-fair weeks of planning and
preparation, particularly with horses. I was also able to do projects that were closer to what I did as a 4-
H’er by conducting a small animal master showmanship class. This class was meant to teach youth the
basics of handling different animals that would be found in a small animal master showmanship class,
basic knowledge about those animals and other information about your show presence that can help you
stand out while showing. Throughout this summer I am excited to learn more about how to plan and run a
variety of classes with different topics. I will also have the opportunity to learn more about marketing for
the 4-H program, working with various fundraisers and senior scholarship/graduating senior related
promotions. I also will have the chance to work on a multitude of fair related tasks. Through my past
internship experience I have learned so much and I hope to continue to learn and grow this summer! I
have grown up with a deep love of 4-H, which was developed quite a bit here in Polk County, and I am so
excited to help the program grow in any way that I can!

Hi, my name is Ashton Rask, and I am excited to introduce myself and be a part of the
OSU Extension services internship program. I am located in Columbia County, where I currently
reside. Though I am originally from the central valley of California, where agricultural roots run
deep. I have always been involved in some form of agriculture; I am a huge advocate for
agricultural education and take pride in being a part of a larger community. I was an active
member of 4H and FFA throughout my youth. I am entering my last year at Colorado State
University online, finishing my bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business. From here I hope to
continue to be an advocate for agriculture and move forward in a career that is rewarding and
impactful.

Garden sign displaying the Luffa in Columbia County’s demo garden. Photo: Ashton Rask

As I enter the 6th week of my internship here at OSU Extension, I have experienced a
number of exciting events. Including WIC/Snap-ED programming, Master Gardener events
along with viewing and lending a hand in our community & demo gardens. One of my recent
projects has been creating new signs to label our demo garden beds. This is a project that we
wanted to get done before our county fair, which is a goal we accomplished. I also had the
opportunity to sneak out of the office and get my hands dirty doing some weeding in our
experimental gardens located at the demo garden here in St. Helens.

I saw a need for signs to be made and placed in our demo garden. With the help of both
our agriculture Extension agent, Janhvi Pandey and A few of our master gardeners, who were
so kind to help me through this process, I was able to head out to the demo garden and learn
about all the things we are growing and showcasing. Our demo garden is flourishing, so having
proper signage to address people’s questions and celebrate the hard work of our community
members was important! Our demo garden has been a joy to work in over the past few weeks.
Watching all our unique plants and garden beds bloom and start to produce fruit has been
exciting. I am fortunate enough to be a small piece of this bigger puzzle and cannot wait to see
how our community members react throughout the fair and its showcasing.

These signs highlighted companion planting, our pollinator garden and our three sisters’
garden bed. Along with a really unique plant that has been introduced this year by a master
gardener, the Lofa plant! The Luffa plant is edible, but we often see it used in its sponge form!
Some signs needed to be created from scratch, whereas some just needed an updated look. I
spent about a week and a half creating these, printing and laminating them to help limit some
of the exposure from the elements, to hopefully make them last a while. From there I was able
to go out and place them on each plaque.

OSU Extension Internship Program

Helping communities and gaining skills with Extension

Traveling the state: touring farms, surveying consumers and collecting research

From festivals to front yards: a summer nitrate testing journey

Empowering kids and communities through food and fun

OSU Extension intern redefines the journey

OSU Extension intern builds community one step at a time

OSU Extension intern builds a path toward environmental mediation through local action

OSU Extension intern builds on 4-H roots to make a lasting impact

OSU Extension intern enhances demo garden with educational signage

Contact Info