College and Major: Auburn University College of Agriculture, Environmental Science
Hometown: Montgomery, Alabama
Career Goals: After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school to pursue my master’s degree in water resource management.
Hobby or Fun Fact: I am an avid enjoyer of music.
Follow Patrick’s Internship Journey
May 31
On May 31, I got to experience the breathtaking beauty of Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, Alabama, while assisting with conducting the Forestry Invitational. As hot and as long of a day as it was, meeting some other Alabama 4-H employees and seeing these children putting their skills and knowledge of forestry, which I did not possess at their age, into use was quite a fun experience.
May 21
On May 21, I attended the final field session required for my certification as a bacteriological/water chemistry monitor for Alabama Water Watch. As a student with a minor in watershed sciences, it was nice to get some hands-on field experience with water quality assessment, and the skills that I develop working with AWW will likely be useful for career purposes, and as a way to get me out of the apartment and out into nature every now and then, while also doing some good.
May 15-16
Across May 15 and 16, I spent around 11 hours preparing 13 identical copies of the same topographic map of the Forkland, Alabama Quadrangle for use in the Alabama 4-H State Forestry Invitational. This process first entailed selecting the Forkland Quadrangle as the final site from around fifteen contenders, most within Alabama but some from Tennessee and Kentucky, as well. I didn’t interact with a topographic map for the first time until I was in college, so I think it is safe to say that these grade 3-12 students are getting a much earlier start than I did, which, for children interested in forestry and the natural world, is quite a good thing.
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College and Major: Auburn University College of Human Sciences, Nutrition/Dietetics
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Career Goals: I would love to work in chronic disease prevention. My dream is to be a diabetes educator and become a registered dietitian.
Hobby or Fun Fact: My favorite hobbies include singing and playing guitar. Music is such a good stress-reliever, and I absolutely love it. If I was not studying nutrition, I probably would have done something music related.
Follow Janie’s Internship Journey
May 30
So far, one of my favorite parts of my internship has been helping out at the Extension table at the Phenix City Farmers Market. We offered many free resources from cooking books to gardening resources and supplies that individuals could take home. Our table included Extension members across many disciplines, from agriculture to nutrition. My favorite part of the entire experience was having one-on-one discussions with the visitors, who were excited to talk all things gardening, nutrition, and cooking. I offered some of my personal nutrition and gardening knowledge and many people were excited to learn something new!
Engaging in these conversations is honestly my favorite part of Extension work. No matter where we travel, there are always conversations to be had and people who are more than willing to learn something new, as well as teach us! It makes my day to see how excited individuals are to talk about their passions and learn from the resources we provide. What a gift to be part of Extension!
College and Major: Auburn University College of Agriculture, Agricultural Science with a minor in Horticulture
Hometown: Eastaboga, Alabama
Career Goals: I would like to attend Graduate school at Auburn or work with Extension.
Hobby or Fun Fact: During the school year, I am employed at the ACES/College of Ag IT Helpdesk.
College and Major: Auburn University College of Human Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics
Hometown: Enterprise, Alabama
Career Goals: My goal is to attend graduate school, complete my dietetic internship, and become a registered dietitian with a specialization in pediatrics.
Hobby or Fun Fact: My favorite hobby is crochet. I am fairly new to it, but I love to make small things like flowers, coasters, and decorations.
Follow Sarah’s Internship Journey
June 12
In Alabama, agriculture is everything! From farmer’s markets and grocery stores to neighborhoods and households, agriculture is connected to all. Because ag is so central to the local lifestyle, Extension seeks to educate and encourage the 4-H youth of Alabama to see the value of agriculture in their lives. Thus, the Poultry Project was born!
This 4-H project teaches children about poultry by giving them their very own chicks to raise and even show during the showmanship part of the programming. The families could choose between Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, Easter Eggers, or a mix of all three. On June 12, families from across multiple counties lined up at the Pike County Cattleman Park to participate. ACES staff from each of the counties were there and ready to greet them and organize orders.
As an Extension Intern, I helped unload, monitor, and distribute the chicks to their new owners. As cute as those sweet baby chicks were, my favorite part was seeing the children’s faces light up when we handed them their feathery friends. Their smiles and excitement made me realize how Extension positively impacts the community. Assisting this project was a fun, educational, and fulfilling experience. The children were so sweet, and the Extension team was a joy to work with. Meeting other ACES personnel, local families, and chickens was an excellent opportunity!