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Published on 05/03/18

Nearly two dozen young people interning across the state this summer to improve lives with UGA Extension

By Sage Barnard

This summer, 23 students will intern in University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices throughout the state. They’ll work with Extension agents, gain hands-on experience in the office and field, and observe UGA Extension at work, serving Georgians.

The UGA Extension internship program is available to students in both undergraduate and graduate programs across the state, and this year’s interns range from sophomore undergraduates to doctoral students. Of the 23 interns, 12 are students or recent graduates of UGA. The others are students or recent graduates of Emory University, Berry College, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Auburn University, Georgia State University and Georgia Southern University.

Interns will work in all of UGA Extension’s program areas: 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS), and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). They are all students or recent graduates with degrees ranging from global health to agricultural and environmental systems.

ANR interns will aid UGA Extension agents in their work with farmers, gardeners and their communities at large. FACS interns will help offer nutrition, home care and financial management information to local families. Georgia 4-H interns will assist 4-H agents in teaching young students important life skills, like leadership and cooperation.

Lanier County 4-H Agent Megan Powell, also a former 4-H’er, got her start in UGA Extension as an ANR intern.

“Whether I was working in the field with a grower or with 4-H’ers at camp, my internship allowed me to grow by learning something different every day,” Powell said. “I fell in love with the work that Extension does to serve people of all ages in Georgia.”

The number of summer interns hosted by UGA Extension has doubled since last year, and UGA Extension will continue to increase participation in its internship program in the coming years. The program is popular with students because, as UGA Extension interns, they gain insight about careers in Extension from experienced agents and start building their professional networks.

“The UGA Extension internship program provides an excellent opportunity for students to get a firsthand look at the day-to-day life of an Extension agent,” said Director of Extension County Operations Mike Martin. “They not only get to work alongside professional faculty in the field, but they are also given an opportunity for leadership and to take an active role in program planning, preparation and delivery.”

These interns gain valuable insight into the ways that UGA Extension agents work with their communities to solve everyday problems while paving their way to potential careers in UGA Extension. For more information about becoming a local hero with UGA Extension, visit extension.uga.edu/careers.

Below are this year’s interns listed with their respective office and service area:

  • Meghan Mitchell, Georgia 4-H Office
  • Beth Lundsford, state Extension water specialist office
  • Elizabeth Slater, state Extension pesticide safety specialist office
  • Brittany Clark, Clarke County ANR
  • Brittney Westmoreland, Habersham County ANR
  • Gracie Rowe, Oconee County 4-H
  • Alondra Monterrosa, Morgan County ANR
  • Eryn Elliott, Jackson County ANR
  • Kayla Robinson, Henry County ANR
  • Heather Stanley, Newton County ANR
  • Kritika Malhotra, Gwinnett County ANR
  • Jessica Parks, Spalding County FACS
  • Jayvion Crawl, DeKalb County 4-H
  • Alyssa Pawlik, Forsyth County 4-H
  • Nathan McLendon, Terrell County ANR
  • Shelby Sangster, Dooly County ANR
  • Kelly Paulk, Brooks County ANR
  • Jessica Staley, Chatham County ANR
  • Yasmine Callen, Chatham County ANR
  • Adrianna McCollough, Washington County FACS
  • Wiley Evans, Jefferson County ANR
  • Drew Carver, Irwin County ANR 
  • Savannah Brannen, Bulloch County ANR

Sage Barnard is a student writer for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.

Authors:
Sage Barnard
Experts/Sources:
Laura Perry Johnson
Michael T Martin
Graduating seniors Gracie Row (left to right), Meghan Mitchell and Brittany Clark, from UGA, will participate in the 2018 UGA Extension summer internship program. Row and Mitchell will work in the 4-H programs in their respective counties, and Clark will work in the Agriculture and Natural Resources program.
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