Great Start to my Year-Long Internship!

By Megan Hamling, Nebraska Corn Board Intern.

My name is Megan Hamling, and this summer I have been given the opportunity to serve as the Communications and Market Development Intern for the Nebraska Corn Board. This fall, I will begin my sophomore year at the University of Nebraska Lincoln where I am majoring in Agricultural Business and minoring in Agricultural Leadership and Communications. I grew up just outside of Garland, Nebraska and attended Seward High School. My passion for agriculture sparked during my high school years with all the time and effort I spent with my high school FFA chapter. This is where I came to realize the need for young leaders in agriculture, and I eventually decided I wanted to make the agricultural industry a career in the future.

Throughout the past month, I have been able to experience more than I ever thought I would. During my first week of training, I attended the Grand Island Children’s Groundwater Festival with Morgan, the previous intern, and we led a Corn/Aqua Bingo game with fourth graders who traveled from all across the state. Just a couple weeks ago, I was able to attend the Nebraska Agriculture Business Club Tour where we visited a Farmer-Veteran Coalition farm, Ficke Cattle Co. and the Raising Nebraska exhibit at the state fair grounds. These tours were such eye-openers for me, and showed me just how diverse Nebraska agriculture is. I have also been attending the weekly E-85 Kum & Go American Ethanol promotions in Omaha.  I was even able to take a road trip to Ankeny, Iowa with Sam, the Nebraska Corn Growers intern, to help out with one of their ethanol promotions. I love being able to communicate with consumers about the benefits of using ethanol, and the agriculture industry they are supporting when they fill up with it. Finally, I have been able to shadow Emily, our Communications Director, on several of her meetings out of the office; one being a Nebraska CommonGround meeting in Columbus.

This internship has already taught me so much. I never understood how much work goes on behind the scenes of a corn check-off program. I have come to appreciate those who work in the agriculture industry to a greater extent than before. One of my favorite parts about this internship so far has been the chance to get out of the office at least once a week and talk with consumers and leaders in the industry at different events, especially at the ethanol promotions, where I am able to communicate with consumers about the benefits of filling up with ethanol.

Overall, I have had a rewarding first month here at the Nebraska Corn Board Lincoln office. It seems like yesterday that I was here for intern training, and now here I am five weeks later. The time has flown by, and I know it will only continue to do so over the course of the next year. Through this internship, I have greatly expanded my understanding of the Nebraska corn industry and agriculture field itself, met great agriculture leaders from across the state, grown as an individual, and have had so much fun along the way. I am looking forward to making even more great connections throughout the upcoming year. Until next time!