By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Having started mowing yards for income at 9 years old, Emily Updegrove learned at a young age the rewards of hard work.
But Updegrove knew she still had lots to learn when she went off to college.
One major lesson learned by the Fort Hays State University senior is that no matter how many hours you have put in working while growing up, internships can pave a path to full-time employment.
Updegrove, an animal science major from Yates Center, stressed the value of internships while scanning the booths at FHSU’s spring internship career fair in Gross Memorial Coliseum in mid-February.
Representatives from more than 60 organizations and businesses set up shop in GMC to offer interested students the opportunity to check them out. There was a little bit of something for everyone, ranging from agriculture to banking and insurance, from military to medical, and everything in-between.
“I have told students that this is the only time in their lives that employers are coming to them,” said Karen McCullough, director of Career Services at FHSU. “This is a unique opportunity to not have to leave campus. The students who do take advantage of these fairs can see their careers take off and get ahead faster.”
Updegrove can attest firsthand to the importance of an internship.
An entrepreneur who started raising her own cattle at age 15, Updegrove applied for an internship last year at the advice of her FHSU advisor, Dr. Craig Smith, associate professor of agriculture.
Updegrove said she didn’t think she would even get an interview with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, let alone be offered the internship.
Although Updegrove’s agriculture experience centered more on cattle than agronomy or soils, Brad Shank of the NRCS office in Jetmore said he thought her basic knowledge of agriculture helped her land the job.
“That ag background definitely has helped her all the way through,” Shank said. “She was able to talk knowledgably with our producers.”
Once chosen to participate in the internship, Updegrove was assigned to work under Shank, a supervisory district conservationist.
The purpose of NRCS internships are to expose the students to as many areas as possible involving the agency.
“We like to get them into the field as much as we can,” Shank said. “She did a lot of survey work, staked out terraces, grass waterways and pipelines and checked out livestock watering facilities and was on site during construction for different projects.”
Shank said he noticed immediately that Updegrove was a hard worker.
“She was very focused on wanting to learn,” he said. “She always asked good questions, wanted to stay engaged, always wanted to understand what we were trying to expose her to. She definitely is the kind of person who you would want working for you. If it was up to me, ——-”
Shank got his wish, and so did Updegrove.
Updegrove learned Tuesday afternoon that after she graduates in May, she will start full time for the NRCS. She will be assigned to a Kansas station for two years, then will have the option to transfer to another state if she wishes.
Shank, a 2010 FHSU graduate, is well aware of the value of internships. He worked several internships while attending Fort Hays State before landing a position with the NRCS.
“Internships are a great experience,” he said. “They give you the opportunity to see if that’s the kind of work you want to do. Even if you decide that type of work is not for you, at least you’ve given it a try. They are great resume builders, and you have gained a knowledge set you will be able to use somewhere down the road.”
Updegrove agreed.
“I had to shut off one part of my brain and open up another part I had never used before,” she said. “It was a steep learning curve, but I learned a lot.”
Even though Updegrove was hoping for the NRCS position to develop into full time, she attended FHSU’s spring career fair to explore other options.
“I was just browsing,” she said. “It’s always good to have a backup plan.”
McCullough said that Updegrove’s situation is just one of numerous opportunities where students can not only gain experience, but employment as well, from internships.
FHSU holds on-campus career internship fairs every fall and spring, and two more fairs – both virtual – are scheduled for next month.
More than 50 school districts from across the state and several other states, too, have already signed up to participate in the March 5 Tiger Teacher Nation Employment and Education Virtual Fair for education majors. Another career and internship virtual fair for all other majors is set for March 12. Links to sign up for one of the upcoming virtual fairs can be found under “upcoming events” at fhsu.edu/career.
“A lot of employers now are expecting students to go out and get internships and bring some experience to the job, and large employers hire through their internships,” McCullough said. “So participating in a career fair can really be helpful, and we would love to have students sign up for one of the virtual fairs.”
