Ogallala Commons Newsletter: August (Week 2)

“Be Willing”: Terri Hendrix Concert

(left-to right: Lloyd Maines and Terri Hendrix are joined by Logan Samford on stage at the Home Mercantile)

Despite the best efforts and intentions of our Community Interns, only Julie Hodges and Darryl Birkenfeld made it to the Terri Hendrix concert (along with Advisory Council member Andy Wilkinson), held at the Home Mercantile Building in Nazareth, TX on August 14th. However, Terri had looked over the Intern Blog pages in advance, and dedicated a song during her concert to the interns, our program, and to Miss Julie! The song is titled, "Be Willing" and it is recorded on her "Left Over Alls" album from 2009. A verse from the song is truly reflective of Community Internships: "Be willing/To travel far. The answers are/in the Great Beyond. Be willing to open your mind/to all you'll find/in the Great Unknown."

Another cool Intern-thing that happened at the concert was the affirmation that Terri and Lloyd gave to Logan Samford, an aspiring singer-songwriter from Nazareth, who opened the concert with three songs he penned. Though Logan is only a junior in high school, he in already interested in applying for a Community Internship in Summer 2012, that could help him explore and learn about a career as a locally-based musician.

Where Have all the Interns Gone? (Part 2)

This article is the second half of an article written by OC Intern Megan England, which gives the whereabouts of numerous OC Community Intern alumni.

Katie Hancock (’10) of Lubbock, TX graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Communications in December, then began getting her teaching certification in Technology Applications and Agriculture. She is currently working on her Master's in Secondary Education and recently got hired to teach 8th Grade Exploring Careers at Brownfield Middle School (TX). She also plans to continue her photography business on the side of teaching.

Julie Hodges (’10) of Lubbock, Texas is the Owner/Heritage Planning and Environmental Education Consultant for Prairie Workshop, LLC and Education Coordinator for Ogallala Commons. She graduated in August of 2010 with my Master of Science in Heritage Management and her future plans are to continue working with Ogallala Commons and expand her business with her husband, Jason.

Keshian Hoeffner (’10) is a senior in high school at Campo, Colorado and a Certified Nursing Assistant. She will graduate in May of 2012.

Erin Hoelting (’08) left for Peace Corps in July 2009, and is currently wrapping up a two-year stint with an aquaculture project with small farmers in Zambia. She will be returning to Lubbock, TX in October to wrap up and defend her Master's thesis at Texas Tech University by semester’s end.

Shancee Howell (’10, ’11) of Tribune, Kansas graduated from college in May of 2010, and is currently working on her Masters in Agricultural Business at New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM).

Kendra Huseman (’10) graduated from high school (Nazareth, TX) and is enrolling at Texas A&M University (College Station, TX).

Catherine Jenkinson (’11) of Sharen Springs, Kansas is a high school senior and will graduate in May of 2012. She then plans attend university to major in some sort of liberal arts.

Tabitha King (’10) recently received a job at Dell as an Epic Healthcare Systems Consultant in the Dallas area.

Weston Nieman ('11) is living in Lubbock, TX after graduating with an MBA from Texas Tech University. He is currently exploring job options and looking for a career in sustainable construction and building.

Scarlett Olsen (’10) of Burdett, Kansas is a senior in high school and will graduate in May of 2012, after which she plans to attend college.

Paige Ownbey (’09) of Campo, Colorado is recently married, is a volunteer firefighter, and currently provides day care services at her alma mater, Campo School, where she is also the assistant high school volleyball coach.

DeLesa Perez (’09, ’10, ’11) of Hart, Texas is currently working on a degree in Advertising and Public Relations at West Texas A&M University (Canyon, TX). She will graduate in 2013, and then plans to move to a city and run a public relations business.

Daniel Ramos (’10) recently graduated from high school (Dimmitt, TX) and has enlisted with the United States Army.

Sarah Reeves (’11) of Munday, Texas, is working on getting a degree in elementary education/pharmacy technician at Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls, TX). She plans to graduate in December of 2012, and if she doesn’t get a job in the spring, she plans to become certified as a pharmacy technician.

Katy Reynolds (’11) of Tribune, Kansas is majoring in Mass Communications at Northwestern Oklahoma State University (Alva, OK) and has a minor in English. She will graduate in December 2011 with her bachelor’s, then plans to complete her Master’s degree and find a job in the Tribune, Kansas area.

Tess Robben (’09) is currently attending school at Fort Hays State University (Hays, Kansas).

Valeria Rodriguez (’09) is majoring in Biochemistry at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school at Texas Tech University.

Alexis Schwarz (’10) is currently attending college at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska), and majoring in Advertising.

Kevin Von Feldt (’10) of Larned, Kansas is a senior in high school. He plans to graduate in 2012 and attend Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.

Kerra Wait (’11) is a high school senior in Pritchett, Colorado. She plans to graduate in 2012 and attend college to study sports medicine, chiropractic medicine, and business. She plans to open her own business after graduating from college.

Kaili Wait (’09) is majoring in Crop Science at Otero Junior College (La Junta, Colorado). In the future, she plans to start a family and work for the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Clay Wimmer (’10) is presently a high school senior in Abernathy, Texas. He is involved with Future Farmers of America and is working on a ranch. He is interested in soil and water conservation and plans to graduate in May 2012.

Sara Wheeler (’10) is currently beginning her sophomore year studying biology and chemistry at Oklahoma Panhandle State University (Goodwell, OK).

Cara Young (’11) and her husband, Justin, are taking on full-time jobs at High Plains Food Bank and Community Gardens in Amarillo, Texas upon the completion of her internship.

Intern Profile: Delissa Villa Hello everyone,
My name is Delissa Villa. I am from Tulia, TX and attend St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. I am an international business and marketing major and will be graduating in May of 2012. This will be my third summer interning through Ogallala Commons. I am very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had in working with OC...I’ve learned a lot and have grown to value my rural community.

This summer I carried out a one-month marketing internship. I interviewed different business owners in Plainview, Texas, learned about the marketing department at Soil Mender Products, LP, in Tulia, TX, and worked with Casa del Llano, a small nonprofit organization in Hereford, Texas.

The entrepreneurs that I interviewed have been very successful in their businesses and here are some key lessons I learned were: what inspired them to start the business, marketing techniques, and how they are successful in rural communities. These interviews provided valuable information that I will use in the future when I open up my own business. I would like my business to focus on “health education”. With the growing rates of obesity in the United States, there is a need to educate. In my community, I believe there is a particular need in educating Hispanic women. My ideal business would incorporate healthy cooking classes, fitness classes, and health education classes.

Intern Profile: Weston Neiman
My name is Weston Neiman and I grew up in Junction, Texas. I went to college at New Mexico State University where I earned a Bachelors of Business Administration and played football. After NMSU, I decided to further my education by attending Texas Tech, and graduated with my MBA last December. I am now trying to make the transition into a meaningful career, and in doing so, I was referred to an Ogallala Commons Internship by my sister. The weekend I graduated, all of my family was up in Lubbock. After my graduation, I went snowboarding in Colorado and somehow my parents set up a tour with Darryl. The first couple of months after my graduation, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and decided I was interested in sustainable building. That's when it clicked for my sister, and how I ended up as an OC Community Intern this summer.

My whole life I have been interested in sports and hunting. I am very competitive and if you want to motivate me, turn the task into a game and you will be surprised at how much more productive I am. I grew up very connected to the earth and being respectful of our resources. My parents started a small business called Native American Seed that sells only native wildflower and grass seeds to landscapers, government projects, and individuals.

During my internship I met so many people and made so many connections in the sustainable development world. I feel like this internship has been a little blessing in the disguise of a little bit of work…I am very grateful for…the learning experiences and friends I made along the way.

Intern Profile: Adan Peña
My name is Adan Peña, but everyone just calls me Adam. I was born in Dimmitt, Texas and raised in Nazareth, Texas. My parents’ names are Joann and Gilbert Pena. I have two sisters: April and Angelica, and a cousin who was raised in my household named Ramon. I am bilingual--fluent in Spanish and English. I recently graduated from high school in 2011. I am [going to] attend Baylor University in the fall and double major in Economics and Philosophy

I was asked by Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld to participate in this internship and was very excited to join. Although this is my first year, this internship has done a lot of good in our small community. I [have done] many projects, such as: helping my community with a weekly salad, helping another intern with a cemetery history project, and [improving] on a community map. I [even got] my first experience with planting a garden, and launching a new blog for our “Swift Kicks” or our community news.

In my spare time, I enjoy being with my family, reading the bible, playing video games, and living this gracious gift called life to the fullest.

The OC internship was definitely a great way to end my senior summer in my small community. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if anyone would benefit from my summer internship; I came to discovery that I benefitted from the internship most of all.

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: August (Week 1)

Where Have All the Interns Gone?

Our hardworking Community Intern, Megan England, has spent a good part of her summer tracking down intern alumni. She has written a two-part article with updates on what is happening with Ogallala Commons Community Interns from 2007-2011 (Part II will appear in next week's OC Newsletter: The Place).

Part One (Interns appear in alphabetical order)

Carolina Balderas (’10) is currently employed at a dairy farm near Hereford, TX.

Lacey Barker (’09) is a junior Business major at University of Central Oklahoma in Edmund.

Kyle Birkenfeld (’09) is attending Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas) and majoring in Agricultural Engineering. He is currently interning with an agricultural engineering company in Dalhart, Texas.

Steven Birkenfeld (’09) just finished his sophomore year at Texas A&M University. He is majoring in Ag Engineering and is currently interning with Texas Cotton Ginners Association.

Mary Bitter (’11) works as a Para at Barton County Academy. She will graduate from Barton County Community College (Great Bend, KS) with a History degree in December of 2011. After graduation, she plans to stay in Great Bend and take classes online to get her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Fort Hays State University.

Sydney Busse (’09, ’10) will graduate from Baylor University (Waco, Texas) in May of 2013 with a degree in Health Sciences Studies with a Pre-Physical Therapy major. She then plans to obtain her doctorate in physical therapy and find a program, such as Doctors Without Borders, that would allow her to serve Third-world or underprivileged areas. Eventually, she would like to return to a rural area (ideally Bird City, KS) to live and practice physical therapy.

Simone Cahoj (07, ’08, ’09) graduated from the University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas) and is currently employed as the Wichita County Economic Development Director in Leoti, Kansas.

Blenda Cooper (’10) of Denver, Colorado is a personal trainer currently in the process of starting a non-profit to help fight childhood obesity. She specifically wants to help under-served people who could not afford such health services normally.

Emma Cress (’10) will graduate from Northwestern College-Iowa (Orange City, Iowa) in May 2012 with a degree in Athletic Training, Pre-Physical Therapy and a Spanish minor. Soon after, she hopes to attend physical therapy graduate school.

Allison Dunbar (’10) is currently attending college and working at a research lab in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thomas Edwards (’10) is currently studying at Asbury University (Wilmore, Kentucky).

Elisa Elizondo (’11) is currently studying Ecology/Natural History and Ecological Design at Prescott College in Arizona.

Megan England (’09, ’10, ’11) is currently a senior in high school at Campo, Colorado and plans to attend Oklahoma Wesleyan University in the fall of 2012 to study Communications/Media Writing.

Jayme Flores (’07) of Amarillo, Texas is currently going to school for Paralegal Studies and plans to graduate in 2013. She then plans to work for a few months before attending law school.

Larissa Gardner (’10, ’11) is currently a graduate student in History at West Texas A&M University (Canyon, Texas). Her primary focus is Public History, and she is very fond of making history relatable to the public. She plans to finish her degree in the next year and a half, after which she hopes to teach or work in a museum.

Alex Gerber (’09) is currently a sophomore at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. She will soon be entering the nursing program.

Melanie Hartman (’09) of Happy, Texas is presently a wildlife biologist for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. She is stationed at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and also works at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.

Jordan Hergenreder (’10) is interning for the National Farmers Union in Washington, D.C.

Allyson Hochstein (’08) is enrolled at the School of Nursing at the University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, Texas). She will graduate in May 2012 and begin her career as a registered nurse.

Michelle Hochstein (’10) is a senior in high school in Nazareth, Texas where she will graduate in 2012.

Shauna Koester (’11) is studying History at Barton County Community College (Great Bend, KS). After her graduation in 2012, she wants to become a history professor.
 
Kathleen Wyly ('10) is attending Lubbock Christian University, majoring in Organizational Management, and plans to graduate with her Bachelor's degree in December 2012.

Former OC Intern Returns Home
By Megan England, OC Intern

Above: Paige LeBlanc (far right) during her 2009 internship

During the summer of 2009, Paige (Ownbey) LeBlanc became one of Campo, Colorado’s first Ogallala Commons Community Interns. She worked on several projects, but specifically created a website for the town of Campo. Since that time, Paige has graduated from high school, attended college at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado, and has returned home to work at her alma mater.

“Miss Paige”, as the students call her, is currently the daycare provider and assistant high school volleyball coach at Campo School. Recently married, both Paige and her husband, Anthony, volunteer with the local fire department.

Like several former interns, Paige is a wonderful example of what Ogallala Commons hopes to accomplish with community internships: that is, “to inspire home-grown talent to return in the future--to live, work, play and raise their families.”

Intern Profile: Sarah Reeves My name is Sarah Reeves and I've lived in Munday, Texas for my entire life. I graduated from Munday High School in 2009, and am currently attending Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX. I am majoring in Elementary Education and plan to graduate in the fall of 2012. This summer I worked with the Knox County Visioning Group, which is dedicated to bringing together the communities in our county and helping to get everyone involved in community-wide events. My biggest project this summer was to help create a county-wide brochure. None of the cities in our county have brochures, so this was an interesting process and learning experience. I can't wait to see the final brochure, which will be something that everyone can enjoy and use to help them learn more about Knox County. We had “Knox County Adventure Days” one weekend in June and had loads of fun activities including: geocaching, bus tours, an “Amazing Grace Race”, a lunch to benefit our fire departments, and a photo scavenger hunt. We also hosted the Bobby Boatright Western Swing Music Camp in Goree, TX at the Knox Prairie Events Center this July. This camp was almost a week long, and students learned how to play guitar and fiddle, as well as simply learning how to better their technique. All in all, I’ve had an amazing summer and become a better person because of it. I have learned valuable skills such as: finding my voice, and finding new ways in which to relate to my community.

Intern Profile: Tia Hadley
I’m Tia Hadley and I'm from Atwood Kansas. I'm a sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and I'm majoring in biochemistry and theater. I recently got engaged and am really excited to get married when I'm done with college. I found out about this internship from reading about it in my town's newspaper. I hope I can help my community through this internship and work on skills that will help me with my career in the future. Also I'm really excited to learn more about my community and the people who live in it.

I have a very big family. I have three sisters, one brother, three step sisters and two step brothers. In my spare time I love to read as much as I can, listen to music, play video games and hang with friend. My career goals are to get my doctorate in biochemistry and work as a biochemist doing medical research. I want to do research on diseases like cancer and diabetes. I have already got started doing research on diabetes last semester. I wrote a paper over my research and it got published

Intern Profile: Kara Lacey
Hey! I’m Kara Lacey and I am from Tulia, Texas. I attend Texas Tech University and I love it! My major currently is Ag. Education, and I am planning on being a County Extension Agent someday. I found out about the OC internship through my county extension agent, Calley Runnels, because I was wondering if they had any work I could do for the summer at the extension office and she told me about the internship opportunity! I then applied, and was very excited to learn that I got the internship! I expect to learn a lot about how a rural community functions, and also different things that my advisors have to teach me about their job. I also expect to learn about leadership qualities, and what skills you need to be an effective leader.

In my spare time I like to hang out with my friends of course, and I love going to concerts. I like to play tennis a lot when I can find the time for it, which is hardly ever. I also enjoy spending time with my family! And Texas Tech football of course! I am also in Collegiate 4-H, so that takes up time as well. My all time favorite type of music is Texas Country. My favorite bands/artists are Brandon Adams, Turnpike Troubadours, and Brandon Rhyder.

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: July (Week 4)

Intern Profile: Michelle WaitI am Michelle Wait from Pritchett, Colorado. I am a high school math and business teacher at both Pritchett High School and Campo High School which has given me the opportunity to work with some amazing staff and students at both schools.

The biggest part of my internship has been spent working to create an entrepreneurship curriculum for teachers to use in their classrooms. I’m very excited about teaching this curriculum this fall because many of the lessons will be hands-on activities that will allow the students to learn about real-life business processes. My hope is that this curriculum will allow students to bring their ideas about business to life, and perhaps entice them to start their business in our small town areas where they grow up.

In my “spare time,” I like to help my husband on the ranch. My children are 5th generation ranchers and in just a few years, our family will have been ranching in southeast Colorado for 100 years. Kaili, my oldest daughter, will be attending Otero Junior College this fall to study crop sciences. Kerra will be a senior at Pritchett High School this fall and is very active in most everything. Kerra is also participating in the OC Internship Program this summer. Megan will be a 3rd grader who loves to do everything from playing basketball to riding her horses to reading her favorite chapter books. My family is my greatest joy, and it seems like the best times we have together are the days we spend working on the ranch.

Intern Profile: Kerra WaitHi All, I am Kerra Wait from Pritchett, Colorado. This fall I will the youngest senior in my class at Pritchett High School at the age of 16. At school I am involved in everything that is offered that I can; I am in FFA, FBLA, STUCO, 4-H, National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Knowledge Bowl and I have been participating in volleyball, basketball and track since 5th grade. However injuries to my ankles and hips have kept me off the courts and track for the past two years.

This year was my first time to do an internship of any kind and I am really happy I chose to do it with this great organization. Several years ago my older sister, Kaili, was an intern, and this year my mom, Michelle, is a teacher intern as well. So my family is getting really involved with OC and I think it is great!

My internship has been working with the Baca County Economic Development and improving our county. I have had a ton of fun learning about my county and what I can do to improve it. I have also had the pleasure to work a lot with Megan England. One thing I will never forget from my internship was the Connecting Kids to Community Leadership Day that we put on. I had a blast doing that! Also I can’t wait until the Youth Engagement Day that we are also planning because it might actually be more fun! However, I have had a great internship and I have learned so much more than I thought I would about my county and even myself. I can’t wait until I can apply again and have another great summer with great people!

Intern Profile: DeLesa PerezHello everyone my name is DeLesa Perez. I am 19 years old and attending West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. This summer was my third consecutive summer to participate in the Ogallala Commons Internship Program; every year I have grown and learned a lot more. I have met many new faces and have become a better person. This summer throughout out my internship, I have helped at the Hart elementary school with the summer school kids. I also got to help out with the local Lions Club, St. Johns Catholic Church Jamaica, our annual Hart Days Celebration (which was a great hit) and last, but not least, work at City Hall. All together, I have learned so many new skills, each year has become more interesting, and the work has increased. I will also have the opportunity to use what I have learned throughout my internship in my college career and everyday life. Specifically in my internship, I have made the main flyers to advertise the events to bring people from around the community to Hart. I also helped Sue Hawkins at City Hall with mail runs, taking water bill payments, and answering the telephones. I also got to help with the Miss Hart Pageant by encouraging the girls, organizing and helping decorate, and designing a t-shirt for the girls to wear for opening number that night. I may have a few big jobs throughout my internship but with my help on the little jobs, I get to be a part of the bigger picture.