You’ll have to forgive me for adding another one to the pile, but the point of how invaluable internships are cannot go missed. I was in Washington, D.C. for ten weeks this summer with the National Corn Growers Association, and the first three weeks were a major adjustment. I didn’t express that sentiment in my first two blog posts—I’ve always been outgoing, curious, and adaptable; overall, these feelings were a first.
Despite the unease of acclimating myself to D.C., the culture, transportation, verbiage, and even the swampy weather, I knew with confidence that this internship was something I wanted, and needed. Following dreams of being an artist and a fashion designer (circa 2001), working in public policy in the agriculture industry has long been an interest of mine. I interned with a risk management firm last summer, and can’t say enough good things about my experience with the firm and the producers we worked for—I received invaluable mentorship that summer and learned more about risk, hedging tools, and relationships than the classroom could ever teach me. However, I still had a yearning for policy work. I knew that if I didn’t get policy experience under my belt I would be holding myself back, and letting myself down. Lucky for me, I had another summer left before graduation (December 2017) to pursue policy. Some may find my sentiment exaggerated, and sure, I could jump into a full-time position in public policy when I graduate and figure it out then, but an internship first provides a few advantages.
Internships are a low risk, high reward, environment. You are able to immerse yourself into a company, their culture, and daily operations, without a long-term commitment. Eight to twelve weeks, that’s your only obligation. While that is a simplified notion, and there are many more pieces to an internship, such proving that you are an asset to a team, you can use it as a time to explore if the company and the field is right for you. If not, no harm, no foul. You can follow through on your commitment and leave on strong terms, whereas if you jumped into a job straight out of college that wasn’t the right fit, leaving may be a little more awkward, and you may be faced with thoughts of unease and uncertainty, between fight or flight.
Secondly, you are getting paid to learn. For most new positions, it takes time to operate in autonomy with confidence. In my experience from the two internships I have held during undergrad, I didn’t feel like things truly “clicked” until my last two-three weeks. The majority of the summer is an exciting, fun, and yet huge, learning curve. You have to ask a few more questions, tasks take you a little bit longer to navigate, and you’re still sorting out what exactly your role is. Most companies recognize the return from having interns, that’s why they continue to recruit, and then support them through the learning-curve each summer. However, I want to reiterate this point to parents that are hesitant to support their son or daughter through an internship, students who don’t really have interning as a priority, and any business owner that has entertained the idea of developing an internship program. The personal and professional growth that can be achieved by interning is invaluable and irreplaceable.
Third, internships are an opportunity to see how you handle adversity. This adversity can come in a variety of forms. Perhaps it is a series of challenges that come with moving 1,400 miles away from home. Perhaps it is the challenge of micromanagement, or on the flipside, navigating autonomy. Maybe you have to recognize your own abilities, and ask for more responsibility. Are your daily tasks not lining up with the job description? Or, maybe you are trying to succeed but the company’s structure and communication habits are restricting that. Some of these points are my own, others come from the experiences that peers have had. Bottom line, these are challenging waters to navigate, and I know that I will be able to hit the ground running much faster, in my first full-time position, than if I had never interned during my undergrad years.
Interning has helped me reflect on my interests, identify what I value in a company, and also to develop expectations for myself and what I am able to contribute to a cause. Culture, engagement, and autonomy are priorities of mine when considering future employers. From one internship to the next, I was able to reflect and identify what I think I did really well, but also set new standards for myself and identify how I thought I could perform better round-two (this summer with NCGA).
I by no means have it all figured out, and don’t think that I ever will, but I assure you that because of internships I am more excited than nervous, or unsure, to graduate in December. So, thank you Nebraska corn farmers, Nebraska Corn Board and National Corn Growers Association, for supporting internships and taking the time and resources to invest in me this summer. Your support helped me to intern, and knowing I had the support of family, friends, and advisors, I was able to take advantage of a summer of growth.
P.S. I included some weekend fun in my last two blog posts and wanted to share a few photos from hikes that I went on the last two weeks I was in D.C. It was so refreshing to get out and visit some local gems. The pictures shared here are from Harpers Ferry, WV, and Great Falls, VA/MD.
Jacy Spencer
National Corn Growers Association, Washington D.C. Office
20 F Street NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20001
Office: 202-628-7001
Take me back to the palm trees.
Reflecting back, I applied for an internship with the Nebraska Corn Board in the first place because I wanted to learn more about the corn industry, in addition to the communication skills. Attending Commodity Classic accomplished that. At Corn Congress, as the delegates moved through the different revisions I learned more about corn policies, insurance and the basic concerns that corn farmers face every day. I was most fascinated by the discussion over base acres. This was a topic I was not familiar with before and the discussion in the room had my wheels turning. Question after question, I came to understand the concept of base acres and its importance to corn farmers livelihood. I learned how base acres are used in the different corn insurance policies as well. Another major topic was RINS (Renewable Identification Numbers) and RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard). The discussion also included topics on GMOS, trade, satellite imagery, conservation, greenhouse gases, biotech, labeling and drift.
My social butterfly skills were put to the test, I attempted to meet and get to know as many people as possible. It was sort of like a family reunion. All of the staff and board members from different states took this as an opportunity to catch up. I got to be a part of that. I met wonderful people who are making things happen for corn on a national level and others from different states who face problems just like Nebraska. The community support and comradery I saw made me realize how lucky I was. This is a trait I will now look for in future positions. However, National Corn has set the standard pretty high!
While I may have missed a week of school the week was still full of learning. However, I did have my fair share of fun with staff, board members and others while I was there. I want to go back, that’s for sure. The corn industry and all the wonderful people that work for it have roped me in!
