{"id":2170,"date":"2026-08-28T15:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T22:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2026-08-28T15:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T22:13:10","slug":"osu-extension-intern-finds-joy-in-growth-and-community-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/2026\/08\/28\/osu-extension-intern-finds-joy-in-growth-and-community-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"OSU Extension intern finds joy in growth and community engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summer has been ripe with\u00a0opportunity and growth, and I am immensely grateful for the experience.\u00a0Working as an intern for OSU Extension has given me the opportunity\u00a0to serve my community. I find a lot of joy in knowing that I was able to make someone\u2019s day\u00a0better\u00a0and I have been able to do that in this position.\u00a0Others have been able to do this for me as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"\"\n
Otillia Schreuder (left) and Emily Braibish (right) posing with educational materials prepared for garden guests at the 2026 Benton County Fair. Photo: Master Gardener volunteer<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

One of my responsibilities this summer was to take point on\u00a0the organization\u00a0and implementation\u00a0of the Linn and\u00a0Benton County\u00a0fairs for the Master Gardener\u00a0Program.\u00a0I worked closely with\u00a0volunteers\u00a0from both Linn and Benton Counties\u00a0to organize volunteers to\u00a0work in the Demonstration Gardens\u00a0and spent\u00a0many hours talking with\u00a0them in\u00a0between\u00a0engaging with visitors. With the shared goal of providing\u00a0peer reviewed science-based information\u00a0and answering visitor questions, we were able to\u00a0get acquainted through our shared love of plants and service.\u00a0I could see in the volunteers the same passion\u00a0and dedication that drives me as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"\"\n
Master Gardener volunteers, Tom Pfleeger (right) and Ann Brodie (left), show off the new dry farming plot at then Benton County Demonstration Garden during the 2026 Benton County Fair. Photo: Emily Braibish<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Over the course of both county fairs, I was able to listen to the volunteers\u2019 stories and learn\u00a0why they became Master Gardeners. I really enjoyed hearing about\u00a0how\u00a0they were able to apply their specific interests\u00a0and\u00a0expertise\u00a0within gardening \u2013 like herbalism,\u00a0horticultural therapy,\u00a0greenhouse production, research, and education\u00a0\u2013\u00a0to the Demonstration Gardens. I could see how each of their influences\u00a0touched the gardens and made them better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"\"\n
The photo above was taken at a coffee farm in Costa Rica during a study abroad program. The quote is one that Emily deeply resonates with. Photo: Emily Braibish<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

I made it my goal\u00a0to help them however I\u00a0could\u00a0in making\u00a0each county fair successful. The Master Gardener Program\u00a0is such a beneficial service to the\u00a0community\u00a0and it is built on the efforts of the volunteers.\u00a0One of my biggest\u00a0take-aways\u00a0from the OSU Extension Master Gardener\u00a0Program Internship is that the volunteers\u2019 success is our success.\u00a0As Extension personnel,\u00a0it is our job to support them\u00a0\u2013 be the soil\u00a0they push their roots into so that they may grow.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope that I\u00a0may\u00a0continue to appreciate the beautiful flowers that the volunteers produce. I wake up each morning excited to go to work and it is a privilege I am\u00a0very grateful\u00a0for.\u00a0Thank you to all of the amazing Extension\u00a0staff that have welcomed me and taken the time to share their experience with me.\u00a0I genuinely hope we have the opportunity to work together again in the future.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe somebody who makes everybody\u00a0feel like somebody.\u201d\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Brad Montague\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

– Emily Braibish<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This summer has been ripe with\u00a0opportunity and growth, and I am immensely grateful for the experience.\u00a0Working as an intern for OSU Extension has given me the opportunity\u00a0to serve my community. I find a lot of joy in knowing that I was able to make someone\u2019s day\u00a0better\u00a0and I have been able to do that in this… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14884,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,59,38],"tags":[329],"class_list":["post-2170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-benton-county","category-linn-county","category-master-gardener","tag-emily-braibish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14884"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2170"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2173,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions\/2173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/extintern\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}