Nebraska Corn Board Internships from Lincoln to DC to Panama

Say the word “intern” and it may conjure up images of filing papers, taking out trash or making a coffee run for the staff. But an internship through the Nebraska Corn Board is about being engaged at a high level with some of the leading agricultural organizations in Nebraska, the nation and around the world.

“We want to help students gain a greater awareness of the scope of the industry and help them develop both personally and professionally,” said David Merrell, a St. Edward, Nebr. farmer and chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. “It’s about developing the next generation of leaders and advocates for agriculture.”


The Nebraska Corn Board has funded internships for more than 20 years. Currently, seven internships are supported including several with national/ international organizations that receive corn checkoff funds from Nebraska.

All intern positions are paid, and the Nebraska Corn Board provides a strong support system prior to and during the internships.

Colton Flower

“They conducted an intern orientation seminar before we left, which prepared us for our summer and gave us greater confidence,” said Colton Flower of Scottsbluff, Nebr., who worked at the National Corn Growers Association office in Washington, DC, during summer 2016. “They were a really great resource and we were in constant communication.”

Interns from Nebraska have proven themselves to be valuable contributors to the organizations for which they work. “We have really enjoyed our Nebraska interns. So often in DC, the quality of summer interns is hit and miss. All of the interns we have had from the Nebraska program have been outstanding people. They are smart. They are interested and they put in the effort to learn and benefit from their DC experience,” said Jon Doggett, executive vice president of the National Corn Growers Association.

Andrea Gurney

Andrea Gurney from Huntley, Wyo., is a senior ag business major at UNL who intends to pursue a law degree. In summer 2016, her internship took her to Panama City where she worked at the Western Hemisphere Regional Office of the U.S. Grains Council. “Working internationally had never really crossed my mind before,” she said. “But now I see opportunities that are very encouraging and exciting to consider.”

Kelsey Scheer

Kelsey Scheer of St. Paul, Nebr., worked for the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) in Denver. Kelsey’s background as a member of the UNL meat judging team gave her an edge in terms of both getting the internship and being up to speed when she arrived in Denver. “My work at USMEF helped me better understand the importance of the criteria we use in meat judging as it relates to market value around the world,” she said. “It completed the circle for me.”





Internships include:

• Communications internship with the Nebraska Corn Board in Lincoln, Nebr. 
• Communications internship with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association in Lincoln, Nebr. 
• Marketing and Communications internship with the National Corn Growers Association in St. Louis, Mo. 
• Public Policy internship with the National Corn Growers Association in Washington, DC
• Promotion and international Relations internship with the u.s. Meat export Federation in Denver, Colo. 
• International Relations internship with the US Grains Council in Washington, DC 
• international Agricultural Relations internship with the US. Grains Council (international location)

The deadline to apply for Nebraska Corn Board internship programs is typically in mid- to late october each year. For information, visit nebraskacorn.gov or call the Nebraska Corn Board office at 402.471.2676.

Nebraska Corn is Now Accepting Applications for Seven College Internships

Nebraska Corn is now accepting applications for seven internships starting in May 2017. Qualified college students will have the opportunity to apply for internships hosted in Lincoln, Nebraska, across the United States and internationally. 

Two opportunities are year-long internships in the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) offices in Lincoln. The balance of the internships will be during the summer, located in NCB cooperator offices across the United States. These cooperators include: the National Corn Growers Association in St. Louis, Missouri and Washington, D.C.; the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver, Colorado; and the U.S. Grains Council in Washington, D.C. The international internship will most likely be with the U.S. Grains Council in the Panama City, Panama office.

“Through partnerships with our national cooperators, Nebraska Corn is able to offer one of the best internship programs in the state,” said Emily Thornburg, director of communications at NCB. “We offer a diverse group of opportunities, with the focus ranging from public policy, to marketing and communications and international relations. I would encourage any college student hoping to excel in an agricultural focused career to apply for these internships.”

Applications are due to the Nebraska Corn Board office by 5pm on Friday, October 21, 2016. To apply for an internship or to learn more about the program, click here.  

The seven Nebraska Corn internships available are listed below:

• Communications Internship with the Nebraska Corn Board in Lincoln, NE {May 2017 – May 2018}

• Marketing and Communications Internship with the National Corn Growers Association in St. Louis, MO {Summer 2017}

• Public Policy Internship with the National Corn Growers Association in Washington, D.C. {Summer 2017}

• Promotion and International Relations Internship with the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver {Summer 2017}

• Public Policy and International Relations Internship  with the U.S. Grains Council in Washington, D.C. {Summer 2017}

• International Agricultural Relations Internship with the U.S. Grains Council or U. S. Meat Export Federation (location TBD) {Summer 2017}

• Communications Internship with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association in Lincoln, NE {May 2017-May 2018}

Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of Nebraska Corn added, “Investing in our future agricultural leaders is a priority that we have long supported. Our internship program has been engaging students for over 20 years, and year after year, we see outstanding students go through the program and go on to excel in the industry.”

Nebraska Corn 2016 Internships Announced

Seven Nebraska Students Selected to Represent Nebraska Corn in Internships

(L-R): Morgan Schilling, Laura Lundeen, Lauren Stohlmann,
Kelsey Scheer, Andrea Gurney & Colton Flower (Not Pictured, Maddy Breeling)

The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and Nebraska CornGrowers Association (NeCGA) are proud to support seven college students as interns starting this summer. 

Five of the seven interns will be hosted by national cooperators of NCB, including: the National Corn Growers Association in St. Louis, Missouri and Washington, D.C., the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver, Colorado and the U.S. Grains Council in Washington, D.C. and internationally in the Panama City, Panama office. The other two internship programs will be yearlong internships in the Nebraska Corn offices in Lincoln.

“We are thrilled to once again be able to offer these various internship opportunities to an excellent group of students,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director for the Nebraska Corn Board. “Nebraskans should be very proud of these bright and energetic collegiate candidates. They represent an insightful next generation of young people who will help bring a new dimension to producing food, feed, fuel and fiber for a growing world population.”

Below is a listing of students who were selected for this year's internships and a short description of what they'll be experiencing. You can keep up with these students and their experiences throughout the summer here on the blog under the "Interns 2016" label.

The National Corn Growers Association headquarters’ office in St. Louis, Missouri, will host Lauren Stohlmann of Murdock, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Lauren will be a senior in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will be primarily working with market development on the American Ethanol NASCAR sponsorship as well as participating in a variety of other communications and grassroots activities.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) office in Washington, D.C. will host Colton Flower of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Colton will be a senior in Agricultural Education/Leadership with minors in Agribusiness-Entrepreneurship and Animal Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During his internship, he will be involvedx with a variety of agricultural issues related to environmental regulations, transportation, free trade agreements, biotechnology, ethanol, and energy.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), located in Denver, Colorado will host Kelsey Scheer of St. Paul, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USMEF. Kelsey will be a senior in Animal Science with a Production and Management option from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will be assisting with beef, pork and lamb specific projects, as well as promotions and international relationship opportunities.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in Washington, DC will host Maddy Breeling of Omaha, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USGC. Maddy will be a senior studying Global Studies, with minors in Business and National Security at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She will be working with the global programs team and assisting with preparation for international trade teams and other market development programs that help to develop demand for U.S. coarse grains and co-products.

In cooperation with NCB, the U.S. Grains Council will also host Andrea Gurney from Torrington, Wyoming, as their international intern in the Panama City, Panama office. Andrea will be a senior majoring in Agricultural Business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will be working with the western hemisphere team on issues related to global trade in food and agricultural products, assisting with communication to importers. 

The NeCGA office in Lincoln is happy to welcome Laura Lundeen of Axtell, Nebraska, for a yearlong internship. Laura will be a junior in Agricultural Education with minors in Animal Science and Agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will oversee NeCGA’s online communications as well as contribute to a variety of communication and outreach projects.

The NCB office in Lincoln is excited to welcome Morgan Schilling of McCook, Nebraska, for a yearlong internship. Morgan will be a senior studying Agricultural Education with a minor in Agronomy at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. As part of his internship, he will oversee Nebraska Corn’s crop progress report placement, contribute to communication programs and projects and will help coordinate educational and promotional activities.

“Nebraska Corn’s internship program has been engaging students for over 20 years and has been a great investment into Nebraska’s agricultural future.  As our board has observed, the educational and career advantages these internships have provided to students over the years, have been instrumental in motivating students go on to excel in agricultural focused careers,” added Brunkhorst.

Summer in St. Louis: Farming, Firsts, and Fun

By Emily Scholting, National Corn Growers Association Intern. 

The amazing NCGA office in St. Louis that 
I had the chance to work in for the summer!

Hello again! After spending an amazing summer as an intern for the National Corn Growers Association, I am back in Nebraska and beginning my senior year at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. While I'm sad that the summer has ended, I'm also very excited to continue my collegiate career and see where the future takes me!

In the final weeks of my internship in St. Louis, I got to work on my ongoing projects as well as a few new projects, and I really got to know the people I was working with. I spent some time with my coexistence project, and though we didn't get the chance to finish it as summer came to an end, I will be in touch with NCGA's Director of Biotechnology and Economic Analysis to see how the final product turns out. It will be really exciting to see something that I've worked on being used as a resource for actual corn growers around the country! I also finished up my list of potential technologies to be used for plant phenotyping in agriculture, as well as a list of companies that may potentially bring other products to market soon. It turned out to be a really comprehensive way to learn about up-and-coming technologies in the agricultural world, and it is fascinating to see this industry finding new ways to engage with and use science to make our products better.

While at NCGA, I also worked on compiling information about upcoming biotechnology events in corn and soybeans. Using publicly available information from the websites and press releases of major players in the biotech industry, I outlined the new products in the research pipeline in their various stages of development, from proof-of-concept to limited consumer launch in corn, as well as from advanced development to launch in soybeans. There are definitely some new and exciting traits in the works that farmers in Nebraska and all over the U.S. should be excited about!

In addition to my work mostly with the Production and Sustainability department at NCGA, I got to spend some of my remaining time with the marketing and grassroots side of things. I worked with data from RFS efforts, mobile apps, and research on those candidates currently seeking presidential election in 2016. I was able to see a bit more of the political side of the organization, which helped me put into real applications some of what I've learned as a political science major. I even wrote my first comment to the EPA as a concerned college student regarding the RFS. I also got to discuss some of the things that go into communications with that part of the staff, and I received some great tips on how to improve my writing and communication styles in the future.

Perhaps the most rewarding parts of this internship for me were the meetings I was able to have with several of NCGA's staff at the end of the summer. I cannot say enough about how gracious and wonderful the people that I worked with are, and there's no way I can begin to thank them for all the amazing things they've done for me. I had the opportunity to wrap up my internship with a presentation to the whole staff, who were all incredibly supportive and encouraging. I also had meetings with several of my supervisors, who gave me advice and guidance for the road ahead. I had the chance to explain my future plans and discuss them with some of the people I consider to be the best in the industry, and I could not be more grateful for that part of my summer.

My first Major League Baseball game at Busch Stadium!

As usual, I also did some really fun things outside of the office during my last few weeks. One of my coworkers took me to my first MLB game at Busch Stadium, and I had a chance to verify that the Cardinals supporters really are the best fans in baseball. I also went to Six Flags when my sisters came to visit, and we had a blast on the roller coasters. I spent an exciting week back home at the Sarpy County Fair, which has always meant a lot to me with my 4-H background. I was able to watch my siblings in the beef show and the tractor pull, and I had the chance to talk to some of my favorite Nebraska farmers about what I've been doing all summer. During my last week in the office, I spent most of my lunch breaks with various combinations of my awesome coworkers, and got to try even more of the unique restaurants in Chesterfield. I even got the original recipe for St. Louis gooey butter cake, an arch-city staple, from a coworker whose family used to own the famous bakery.

My sisters and I at the Sarpy County Fair, where 

they showed two of the champion market beef animals!

I learned so much over the course of the summer that it can't possibly be condensed into a single blog post. When I was home for a week during the county fair, I got to continue the conversations of agriculture with people I've known my whole life, and I truly realized how much I gained from this experience. I'm leaving with a better knowledge of myself, of the NCGA, and of the industry as a whole. Though I'm still not sure exactly where I want to be when I finish law school, I've found so many areas within the agriculture industry where I could put my passion and newly-gained knowledge to excellent use. I am extremely thankful to the Nebraska Corn Board and the NCGA staff for this amazing opportunity, and for a summer I'll never forget. I am more excited about the endless opportunities in the agriculture industry than ever before, and I look forward to finding my place in it!

There Is No Place

By Glen Ready, National Corn Growers Association Intern.

After a summer in D.C., it’s great to be back!

There is no place like Nebraska. We’ve heard that a million times, and I’m sure it will be said a million more. That doesn’t mean it isn’t true. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity that I was granted this summer, and am humbled by the experience. It has granted me a unique perspective of our wonderful industry. Being back in the good life, I have had a chance to reflect on my time in the nation’s capital. The agriculture industry, from individual farmers to large companies and organizations, invest so much in the future of agriculture. From your local 4-H program, FFA, and scholarships and events to internships and agriculture policy in D.C. and beyond, these groups provide incredible opportunities for young people. This is evident in the opportunity the Nebraska Corn Board granted me this summer.

This summer was an incredible opportunity, but there is something to be said for coming home to our great state. Before leaving for Washington, D.C. I was incredibly excited and never once thought of missing home. Flying back and landing in Omaha, it hit me just how important this place and this industry is to me, and how happy I was to be back. Seeing the fields of corn, helping out at home on the farm for a few days, they meant so much more to me after seeing all the work people hundreds of miles away do to make sure our day-to-day work can continue. There is no question that there “is no place like Nebraska”, but this is true partially because of the work that is done outside of our state borders, whether in Washington, D.C. or around the world.

I started out with an interest in agriculture policy because it was a unique field that so many of us forget about as we go about the work of production agriculture. I have learned more this summer than I ever could have hoped to do in a classroom. I want to take this opportunity again to thank the Corn Board, because the organization does some great work to let students like me gain a better understanding of just how vast this industry is, and how we can play a role beyond what we see in production agriculture or with large agriculture corporations. Everyone can play a unique role in this industry, and this is the case whether you are in the great state of Nebraska, or in Washington, D.C.

Got to take a step back and reflect on my last night in the district.

2015 Nebraska Corn Interns Announced

Seven Nebraska Students Selected to Represent Nebraska Corn in Internships

(Left-Right): Amanda Clymer, Emily Scholting, Greg Sullivan, Megan Hamling
and Kaydee Caldwell.  Not pictured: Samantha Schneider and Glen Ready.

The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) are proud to support seven college students as interns starting this summer, including an international internship.

NCB will once again partner with the U.S. Grains Council to host an international student intern in their regional office of Panama City, Panama. Four of the other six internships will be hosted by national cooperators of Nebraska Corn: National Corn Growers Association in St. Louis, Missouri and Washington, D.C., the U.S. Grains Council in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver, Colorado. The last two internships will be held in the Nebraska Corn offices in Lincoln and will be year-long internships.

“Nebraska Corn’s internship program has been engaging students for over 20 years, and year after year, we continue to hit homeruns, finding excellent students to fill the various internship opportunities,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, Executive Director for the Nebraska Corn Board. “We are thrilled to be able to offer our future agricultural leaders these great internship opportunities.”

“We have very high expectations for these interns. Nebraskans should be very proud of our collegiate candidates who apply for these internships and go on to excel in agricultural focused careers," added Brunkhorst.

Below is a listing of students who were selected for this year's internships and a short description of what they'll be experiencing. You can keep up with many of these students and their experiences throughout the summer on our blog under the tag: Interns 2015.

The NCB office in Lincoln is excited to welcome Megan Hamling of Garland, Nebraska, for a year-long internship. Megan will be a sophomore in agriculture business with a minor in communications and leadership at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. As part of her internship, she will oversee crop progress report placement, contribute to communication and outreach programs and help with education and promotion activities.

The NeCGA office in Lincoln is happy to welcome Samantha Schneider of Cozad, Nebraska, for a year-long internship, supported by DuPont-Pioneer. Samantha will be a senior in agricultural journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will oversee NeCGA’s online communications as well as contribute to a variety of communication and outreach projects.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) office in Washington, D.C. will host Glen Ready of Scribner, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Glen will be a senior in agricultural economics with an emphasis in public policy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will be involved with a variety of agricultural issues related to environmental regulations, transportation, free trade agreements, biotechnology, ethanol, and energy.

The National Corn Growers Association headquarters office in St. Louis, Missouri, will host Emily Scholting of Springfield, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Emily will be a senior in political science with an emphasis in pre-law at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She will be assisting with production and stewardship projects, as well as participating in committee meetings and policy issues.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) will host Amanda Clymer of David City, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USGC. Amanda is a junior in agricultural economics with a minor in entrepreneurship and leadership at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She will be working with the global programs team and assisting with preparation for international trade teams and other market development programs that help to develop demand for U.S. coarse grains and co-products. 

The U.S. Grains Council will host their second international intern, Greg Sullivan from Omaha, Nebraska, in Panama City, Panama, in cooperation with NCB. Greg earned bachelors in psychology from St. John’s University (Minnesota) and is currently working on his masters in agricultural business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will be working on issues related to global trade in food and agricultural products, assisting with communication to importers and working on the upcoming USGC Regional Buyers Conference in Medellin, Colombia, July 7-8, 2015.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) will host Kaydee Caldwell of Edgar, Nebraska, as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USMEF. Kaydee is a junior in animal science with a management and reproduction option from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She will be assisting with beef, pork and lamb specific projects, as well as promotions and international relationship opportunities.

A final look at my time as Nebraska Corn Board Intern

Approximately one year ago I attended the 2014 Nebraska Groundwater Festival to present about the value of water to the corn industry with Lauren Ibach, Nebraska Corn Board’s (NCB) 2013-2014 intern. Lauren was a great mentor and did a good job of preparing me that week to take over her role as the new NCB in-house Communications and Outreach intern.

Since then, my NCB intern experience has been fantastic. I have met people all over the state, helped lead a trip of young professionals to Washington D.C., became proficient in effectively communicating through social media, and learned about how the Nebraska Corn Board is working on behalf of Nebraska’s 23,000 corn farmers. But most of all, I have grown as a person and as a professional.

This brings me to this week; my final week at the Nebraska Corn Board. The 2015 Groundwater Festival was held on Tuesday, May 12^th and once again I had the opportunity to attend this event. However, this time, I was accompanied by Megan Hamling, the newest NCB Communications and Outreach intern --officially starting today (Friday, May 15^th). We had a wonderful time playing Corn/Aqua Bingo with 4^th grade students and even learned a little bit ourselves! I’m excited to see how much Megan learns and accomplishes during the next year! The circle of interns will continue to revolve as I leave the NCB internship in Megan’s hand and begin my newest adventure as a Mycogen sales intern for Dow Agrosciences. I know that I will continue to work hard and be pushed out of my comfort zone so that I can gain one more step towards finding a future career in the agricultural industry.

Additionally, I would like to thank all of the Nebraska Corn Board members and staff, along with the state’s 23,000 corn farmers for supporting this internship program. Your money, time, and effort is more than worth it, as you are creating much-needed future leaders of the agricultural industry.

Proud to represent Nebraska in international agriculture

By Bryan Brower, US Grains Council Intern

I can’t believe that my summer with USGC has already come to an end. I had an absolutely fantastic time, I couldn’t have asked for a better overall experience. Interning for the U.S. Grains Council in their Washington, D.C. headquarters gave me a unique insight at how this international non-governmental organization operates and the industry and stakeholders they work to serve. I walk away from my summer with the Grains Council with my first experiences with agriculture and international trade. There is a certain sense of pride to represent a good portion of my fellow Nebraskans and advocate for their concerns and interests on the international level. Along with being able to check living in D.C. off my bucket list, I had an unbelievable experience.

There have been a lot of new developments and transitions at USGC since I have last posted. From USGC annual board of delegates meeting to one of my supervisor’s promotion, Marri Carrow, formerly the Director of Communications, promoted to Regional Director for Latin America. The Council has new leadership in Ron Gray along with a new set of delegates and of course the ever-expanding list of member organizations. All this on top of my special project, arranging for an 11-day, 3-state tour for a 9-person trade team from Taiwan, made for quite a hectic last month at the Council.

Ironically enough, the board of delegates meeting this time was in Omaha which allowed me to travel for the meeting, something other interns have previously not had the opportunity to do. Something all past USGC interns have shared in was all the work that goes into hosting a 300-plus annual meeting at a conference center in a different city. Helping to coordinate the meeting gave me the opportunity to really see what all goes into maintaining positive member relations. Then having the chance to actually be in attendance for the meeting and learn about some of the emerging opportunities and potential threats and concerns really gave me, someone who before this summer had no real exposure to anything agriculturally related, both a broad and intricate understanding of the industry. After the Omaha meeting, I got the chance to work a couple smaller projects for the new Director of Communications, Melissa Kessler. As a new member of the USGC staff she brought with her new ideas and a fresh perspective which translated into many new and sometimes exploratory initiatives. It was my job to conduct the first bit of feasibility research and sort of bring everyone up to speed, so to speak, on many of these new projects. This included everything from researching which communication tactics and mediums are most effective with farmers to how to conduct the best return on investment study for USGC. My special project also required quite a bit of my time, from planning meetings and tours to arranging for hotels and transportation.

On top of all this, I had a great experience being a young (semi)professional living in the nation’s capitol, the world’s center for everything politics. I can’t say enough about the adjustment to move away from all my friends and family and live in a new city, one that is bigger than any I have ever previously lived in, I might add. The experience of finding your way and making new friends is a skill I am realizing to be extremely vital to an increasingly global and connected world. D.C. gave me a fresh perspective about what makes Nebraska special but what maybe was the most inspiring thing about my D.C. experience from what I gathered from talking with other ag-interns and young professionals in general. I see most people of my \ genuinely want to work together in a more altruistic way in the political and social sphere to enact meaningful change. Everyone seems to be on the same page that our generation will see tremendous change both domestically and internationally. There will be a number of issues that will require people coming together to overcome extreme sources of inertia. The world we live in will look drastically different over the next 50 years and we are the ones who will shape it in the best way possible.