Tag Archives: communications

OSU Extension intern makes long lasting connections

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Hello again,

My name is Tayleur Baker, and I am a 2024 Extension Communications Intern, based in Harney County. Throughout my internship this summer, I have been able to engage with the OSU Extension Communications team to create meaningful content for our communities. This pursuit led me to counties outside of my own to capture the heart and story of Extension across Eastern Oregon. The media pieces I created were in the realms of videography, photography, journalistic written word and social media engagement. I am passionate about all of these different communication areas and I was pleased to gain further experience to refine my skills.

Tayleur Baker holding a camera
Tayleur Baker holding a camera in the field. Photo: Tayluer Baker

My favorite part about this summer has been the opportunity to engage with others and make long lasting connections. Whether attending a day camp, receiving feedback from the communications team or engaging with a county virtually, connections were formed that made a positive impact on my life that I am extremely grateful for. Additionally, Extension truly does care about their employees and set me up for success and professional growth every day.

I would suggest this internship to anyone who is searching for a way to improve themselves in their communication skills while having fun doing it. Extension has a welcoming staff, a patient environment, and an atmosphere that fosters growth. This internship is not a job full of busy work for the youngest member of the team, but a position that encourages interns to discover how they can make the most out of their internship. They hand over the reins and give interns the opportunity to tailor their experience to be beneficial in determining their future. Additionally, amidst the duration of the internship, staff are continually encouraging, pouring into their interns, and supporting their projects because they wish to see them succeed. It is an amazing experience that I recommend all who can to engage in.

As I have only about two weeks left of my internship, my page is about to turn. In the fall, I will be returning to Oregon State University to study Speech Communication with a minor in Agriculture Science. It is my hope to use my voice to make a difference in the world around me and support the people along my path. I am committed to serving others in whatever position I may find myself in, and I am grateful for Extension showing me this commitment by example. Thank you, OSU Extension, for another great year and once again, go Beavs!

Farms to Forests: How I Landed in Extension

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Adrian Gallo (right), part of the inaugural cohort of the Oregon State University Extension Service Interns, interned at the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.
Adrian Gallo (right), part of the inaugural cohort of the Oregon State University Extension Service Interns, interned at the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Courtesy Adrian Gallo.

It was a five-hour drive every Fourth of July across California’s San Juaquin Valley to the Sierra Nevada mountains where my father would take me backpacking. The drive transitioned from the perfectly smooth and manicured agriculture fields glistening in the sun, to the chunky granite rock outcrops where water limitations and minimal soil nutrients produced plant life that fought for survival. Surrounded by scraggly trees and big mountains on those backpacking trips are what made me curious about the ecosystems in danger from climate change. Just as important, what a changing climate meant for people who depend on the land.

Granite Lake in the Desolation Wilderness remains one of my favorite places in the Sierras. Depending on the snow year, alpine lakes don't always melt out by the Fourth of July.
Granite Lake in the Desolation Wilderness remains one of my favorite places in the Sierras. Depending on the snow year, alpine lakes don’t always melt out by the Fourth of July. Courtesy Adrian Gallo.

I’m Adrian Gallo and I’m a part of the inaugural cohort of the Oregon State University Extension Service interns. As a young teenager I loved being outside to play soccer or go hiking, no doubt as a result of those backpacking trips. I also had a curiosity for chemistry and biology. Studying soil science was the avenue I found to connect both my outdoor hobbies and academic interests. By understanding how the soil functions underfoot, and the ecosystem built on top of them, we can predict what land managers need to do in the face of a rapidly shifting climate. Nearing the end of my undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I became more intrigued by the fundamentals of soil science. By asking more questions I realized I was hitting the edge of knowledge that my professors, and the discipline, were able to offer.

My curiosity led me to pursue graduate school to try and push the knowledge boundary forward. After internships with the USDA Forest Service in Alaska and Oregon, I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. Growing up under the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge I never would have predicted how much I love the rain, thick moss and the evergreen hillsides that are ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University has one of the best forestry schools in the world, so I applied to graduate school focusing on forest soil carbon cycling. Even before I arrived at OSU, my goals were to use the knowledge gained about soils and climate change to help people.

Working in the Tongass National Forest as a soil scientist, our work commute sometimes involved being helicoptered into remote areas, being dropped off in flat alpine wetlands called muskegs, to examine forests and the soils of the surrounding area. My co-worker Jerome Barner waves goodbye for the day.
Working in the Tongass National Forest as a soil scientist, our work commute sometimes involved being helicoptered into remote areas, being dropped off in flat alpine wetlands called muskegs, to examine forests and the soils of the surrounding area. My co-worker Jerome Barner waves goodbye for the day. Photo by Adrian Gallo.

One of my first experiences with the OSU Extension Service was a faculty candidate describe her research as the “the intersection between humans and the environment.” Where the (research) rubber meets the (real-life) road. As I came to learn, Extension is more than just agriculture – it also includes marine science through Oregon Sea Grant,  forestry through the Forestry and Natural Resources Program, Family and Community Health, and youth leadership through 4-H and other programs.

At OSU, I’ve co-hosted a science communication podcast, Inspiration Dissemination, a platform for graduate students to describe their ongoing research. I’ve enjoyed that process more than I could have imagined; connecting the science done by people to the people who the science can help. I’ll have a similar approach this summer in the Extension and Experiment Station Communications office. I’ll write about Extension research performed both on campus and across the state, so that Oregonians can see how our efforts should make them proud of our fellow Beavers.