Students from Louisiana’s Southern University Intern with SC NRCS
 

Three students from Louisiana’s Southern University and A&M College gained valuable work experience this summer interning with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina. Traveling to the Palmetto State from Baton Rouge, the students were each assigned a work site, and according to their supervisors for the summer, proved to be valuable assets to state and field office operations.

Brittani Lewis (seated) interned in the SC NRCS State Office under the direction of State Resource Conservationist Erica Westbrook.

Student Brittani Lewis was stationed in the SC NRCS State Office and worked with State Resource Conservationist Erica Westbrook. A native of Louisiana, she is a rising senior at Southern University majoring in Agriculture Economics. During her summer experience, she traveled around the state visiting field offices. She also participated in and surveyed stream bank erosion, pastureland practices, prescribed burning, sweet grass production, and assisted with quality reviews and payment schedules. “Brittani was a great asset to our staff this summer, and her background knowledge of agriculture was an important tool in her ability to understand the job requirements,” stated Westbrook. “She is motivated, a fast learner and would be a great future employee. ”Lewis hopes to apply the knowledge she gained to pursue a career as an Agriculture Economist with NRCS upon graduation. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about NRCS and their work, and the experience will be a real asset as I pursue my career.”

Isiah Nelson (right) interned in the Spartanburg Field Office under the direction of District Conservationist Matt Barrington.

Isiah Nelson is also a Southern University senior and Agriculture Economics major, and he worked under the direction of NRCS District Conservationist Matt Barrington in the Spartanburg field office. He heard about the internship from a USDA liaison at school and was already familiar with the agency because his brother-in-law is an NRCS employee in Mississippi. “I liked the fact that as an NRCS employee, each day presented different opportunities, and the only thing that could have made the experience better is if I could have stayed longer,” says Nelson. He particularly liked the fact that the work environment was friendly, and employees treat each other like family. He also noted that a field trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate was very memorable. Barrington said Nelson was exposed to a variety of farming practices and operations including a turkey farm and a dairy operation, and he enjoyed meeting the customers that NRCS serves. “This program is a great way to really help students understand what we do on a daily basis, and hopefully help them decide if an NRCS career is for them,” said Barrington. Because he was raised in an urban setting, Nelson said that getting out to rural areas and gaining experience on the farm was a unique opportunity.

Dorian McFarley (left) interned in the Newberry Field Office under the direction of District Conservationist Staci Henry (center), and with Soil Conservationist Myra Jones (right).

Dorian McFarley was the youngest of the three interns from Southern University, and the rising sophomore worked with NRCS District Conservationist Staci Henry in the Newberry Field Office. He is an Animal Science major and hopes one day to be a veterinarian. He said that he enjoyed his experience being away from home, and that Newberry is very rural compared to Lafayette. “I have gained a lot through this internship including an understanding of the importance of conservation, but also people skills.” He continued, “When I got the call that I was accepted for the SC NRCS internship, I was very happy, but also scared because this is the farthest distance I have traveled from my family other than college, but the employees have treated me like family, and they made me feel welcome.”

The internship was coordinated through the national NRCS office, and provided an opportunity for the students to earn money, train with professionals, and combine academic study with on-the-job experience. The Department offers a variety of internship programs for college students. To learn more, visit www.dm.usda.gov/employ/college-students.htm.

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