The most recent class of “Creating Leadership & Professional Development Through Extension” interns successfully completed a summer experience with the University of Maryland Extension, learning about and actively participating in the solutions-based outreach and service agents provide across the state.
The 2024 team of interns included 12 students from seven institutions, working with 18 Extension mentors. The internship program's leadership and professional development curriculum, based on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) framework for career readiness, is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their future careers by working closely with UME faculty mentors on Extension activities and applied research at UME offices and Research and Education Centers in Maryland.
“I didn’t know what Extension did, and I’m grateful for all it does in the community,” said Kaity Deaner, a senior at UMD majoring in Nutrition and Food Science who interned in the Cecil County Extension office with mentors April Barczewski and Beverly Jackey. Deaner plans to pursue her Master’s degree after graduating to eventually become a registered dietician and work within her community.
Along with the one-on-one mentoring with Extension specialists and educators, the 10-week program featured ‘Weekly Connections’ which gave the interns an opportunity to discover other aspects of the agricultural industry and meet industry leaders, as well as a two-day College Park Campus Residency where the students had the opportunity to visit innovative research and technology labs advancing climate-smart agricultural practices while networking with some of the top agricultural scientists in the nation.
“I worked in research, academics, and Extension,” said Sam Denherder, a recent graduate of Chesapeake College and Eastern Shore native who plans to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Salisbury University. “I learned how to properly conduct a research trial, how Extension functions, and its purpose.”
Interns published weekly blogs to detail their experiences working with animals, farmers, equipment, youth, and the public. Read about all of their adventures at https://extensioninternships2024.blogspot.com/.
"This is an outstanding and unique program that exposes students to myriad educational-focused activities of an Extension educator. This program is designed to prepare the next generation for an exciting and fulfilling career in Extension, and these interns worked shoulder to shoulder with our Extension personnel, developing and delivering educational programs with the guidance from their Extension mentors,” said Craig Beyrouty, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UMD. “I am very proud of our Extension faculty and staff for building this program and for elevating the visibility of Extension to a new generation of professionals."
The project “Creating Leadership and Professional Development Through Extension Internships” is funded by a USDA Agriculture and Food Research Grant. For more information on the UME professional development internship program, including information on how to apply for next summer’s session, go to https://go.umd.edu/extensioninternships.
A full list of interns and their institutional affiliations:
University of Maryland (UMD)-College Park
- Raven Noel Herron
- Kaity Deaner
- Nicholas Olson
- Cai Diggs
The Institute of Applied Agriculture at UMD
- Bridget Duffy
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)
- Ciera Gardner
- Solomon Hutchins
Salisbury University
- Abi Anderson
Chesapeake College
- Samuel Denherder
- Mikaela Seltzer
Rutgers University
- Andrea Campos
West Virginia University
- Cambria Snyder