July News (4)

A couple dozen people attended the Playa Field Day on
July 14th, and viewed scores of waterfowl and shorebirds.

Ogallala Commons Interns: Stewarding Natural Resources

In recent years, Ogallala Commons has expanded its Stewarding Natural Resources Program.  In addition to conducting Playa Festivals for schools, OC also offers 4 Playa Field Days throughout the year, to inform landowners and the general public to increase awareness and conservation of these fragile prairie wetlands.  OC Community Interns have played a key role in our water education efforts, and currently there are 5 interns working primarily on stewarding natural resources in their communities.

The flyer below advertises the great work two Ogallala Commons interns, Tishia Stewart and Masi Mejia, have done in helping to organize a wonderful event called "Meet the Refuge" at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge. Click the photo to enlarge it and learn more! Read on to learn more about Masi, Tishia, and their respective internships.

Intern Profile: Masi Mejia

My name is Masi Mejia and I am originally from Laredo, Texas. I currently attend Texas Tech University and am a senior Environmental Conservation of Natural Resource major with a minor in Agricultural Leadership.

My internship consists of two parts: the first of which I will be assisting Maria Miller, Director of Education, from the National Farmers Union. I will be assisting her in various duties involved with the National Farmers Union’s Women conference in Bailey, Colorado. At this conference, rural women are given the skills and training needed to help the family farm with finances, marketing, business planning and various issues facing women on farms today. I will also be assisting Ms. Miller in the All-States Leadership Camp in Bailey, Colorado, where National Farmers Union members ages 17-20 have the opportunity to explore their leadership skills and current issues in hopes of going back to their rural communities to create positive change. The second part of my internship will be taking place at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge under Jude Smith. [One] of the main goals is to help organize and plan an educational day under Ogallala Commons. I hope that, while on the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, I am exposed to more natural resource management as well as learning the inner workings of a federal agency, and [am able to increase] my knowledge of  waterfowl management.

Intern Profile: Tishia Stewart

Hi everyone! I'm Tishia from the lovely eastern New Mexico town of Clovis, New Mexico. I was born at Cannon Air Force Base and soon thereafter was swept away to Hawaii. We lived there for a few years then moved to Hollywood, California, where I went to school until my junior high years. My parents and I relocated to Clovis, New Mexico where the thing to do for fun, aside from athletics, was to cruise Main Street with a truck full of friends. Upon graduation I joined the Army Reserve as an x-ray tech. When that was all said and done I moved to Whittier, CA to attend Whittier College and major in biology.

I suppose there were other plans that I was not aware of because I returned to Clovis about 4 years ago with my two children to be closer to my  ailing Grandmother, their Great-Grandmother. I have a deep love and appreciation for my family and that was something I wanted to pass on to my kids: You do what you can for your family.

...I [have] met some of the most incredible people during my independent college studies and Texas Master Naturalist programs that my head happily spins just thinking them. ...And from those experiences I am eager to share my new knowledge within and around my community.

Intern Profile: Reina Lewis

October 5, 1992 I was brought into this world by Clint and Sherella Lewis. With a one year old child in their lives already, they had their hands full. [...] In January of 1993 my parents moved us to Tulia, Texas...[t]his is where they raised me, and where my younger brother Cole was born.

Beginning at a young age I was involved in agriculture. My competed in my first horse [show] at age 5, where I won my first blue ribbon. So I continued to compete for 13 more years, and I continued to be just as successful as I was that first year. I plan to stay on the livestock team as I continue my education, and eventually get a degree in Agriculture Communications from Texas Tech University.

Through this internship I hope to aid my community become more than just a typical “small town”. Many young people do not realize the impact they can have on a community. I hope to gain knowledge, and spread awareness about opportunities to Tulia's youth. 

Intern Profile: Cailin Neudorf

Hello everyone! My name is Cailin Neudorf, and I’m from the small town of Hart, Texas where I will be a junior at Hart High School. I am the new Vice President for Student Council, was inducted into National Honor Society this year, I am a Varsity cheerleader, and a part of the Varsity basketball, cross country, track and golf teams. After high school, I would love to major in education and also become a basketball coach. I have two younger sisters, Camrie, 15, and Candyce, 12. My mother is our high school principle and my step dad is a coach as well.
Growing up in a small town has given me the opportunity to be involved in many activities. My mom and other family members are very involved in the community. Watching them having chosen to stay in their home town to make a living, raise their families and giving back to their community, has shown me the importance of community involvement. This internship will allow me to continue to learn how to do that and continue to make our town grow and be the best place possible.

July News (3)

Building up Partners in Colorado

Intern Greg Laudenslager proudly displays
 the attractive HPFC delivery bags that help
bring fresh foods to customers

Last week, OC Director Darryl Birkenfeld made a trip to Denver to work with Community Internships and partners in the region.  On July 19th, Darryl and Bob Mailander, OC Advisory Council member met with Bill Stevenson, Director of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union—Cooperative Development Center, to work on a RMFU-OC collaboration to place 5 Community Interns at cooperatives in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming in 2013.  Later in the afternoon, Bob and Darryl visited the Delivery Day in downtown Denver by High Plains Food Co-op, where they found OC Community Intern Greg Laudenslager and many volunteers hard at work.  Over 80 orders to HPFC members were filled at the delivery, totaling over $7,000 in sales by HPFC producers.  On July 20th, Bob and Darryl traveled to Longmont, CO for a meeting with Marsha Whiting, Senior Program Officer for First Nations Development Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, advocating, and capitalizing Native American communities, youth, and entrepreneurs.  OC presented its Community Internship Program as a potential tool that First Nations’ constituents in Great Plains states could utilize.  Identifying and engaging partners for Community Internships is a year-round, ongoing process for Ogallala Commons.

Intern Profile: Kara Lacey

Hey there! I'm Kara Lacey! I am from Tulia, Texas, and I am 20 years old. I am a junior at Texas Tech University, and I am majoring in Agriculture Education, with hopes of being a County Extension Agent one day soon! I am interning at Texas AgriLife Extension in [Tulia] for [a] second summer and I am so excited! This summer, I plan on learning more about Extension, since [that is] the career path I've chosen. But, I also plan on learning more about my small community, and helping with different things here! I am helping with the moth research again, I will volunteer a day or so at our county library, and help with 4-H roundup. Of course, I'll be busy around Picnic again, but that's the most fun event in the summer! I'm very pumped up for this summer and working with my supervisors and fellow interns. I plan to learn a lot of new things!

Intern Profile: Melanie Jackson

Hello esteemed readers, I’m Melanie Jackson.  I grew up in New Deal, Texas (just north of the grand metropolis that is Lubbock).  I’ve always lived on my family’s sheep farm and attended New Deal ISD, home of the mighty lions.  Upon graduation, I shipped off to Texas A&M University, where I have just completed my freshman year as a Landscape Architecture major.

During my senior year of high school, I was fortunate enough to come into contact with my now-internship sponsor.  He’s the landscape architect behind Prairie Workshop LLC (a landscape architecture firm in Lubbock), and when the suggestion of a summer internship came up, I was simply thrilled to have been presented with a chance to observe firsthand the inner workings of my future career and to contribute to the creation and completion of design projects...[Through] my internship, I have the incentive and the capacity to improve not only myself, but to explore and improve the communities I call home. 

Intern Profile: Jake Johnson

Hello everyone, my name is Jake Johnson from Whiteface, Texas in Cochran County. I live on a rather large ranch, (for our area) and with my dad and grandad, we run, on average, about 1200 cattle in all. I'm looking forward to working in the community as well as out at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge close to Muleshoe, TX. This summer, I will be studying any and all kinds of grassland birds of West Texas. I have the honor to work with some really great folks at the refuge throughout my internship, as well as in the community of Whiteface. I believe there is a lot to be done in Whiteface with housing arrangements, and I look forward to lending a helping hand where ever is necessary.

Intern Profile: Dayna Larreau

Hello everyone! My name is Dayna Larreau, and I’m from the tiny village of Arnold, Nebraska. It has been my home for my entire life, and the community has shaped me into who I am today. I recently finished my freshman year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and I am currently living at home in Arnold again for the summer. I’m majoring in Economics, which is almost always considered awful or boring, but after taking a course in it, I found it to be super exciting.

My internship is going to be split between the Arnold Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) and The Arnold Sentinel, our local newspaper. [...] For the AEDC I have quite a few projects, but the largest will be dealing with that interest in genealogy and taking a census of the Arnold Cemetery and putting the information on a Web site.  For the Sentinel, I will be doing quite a bit of researching and reporting about the people that have stayed in the area and about how the recently implemented 1% sales tax has affected the community economically.

I am excited to begin helping out and becoming involved with Arnold over the summer.

July News (2)

Spreading the Word on Successful Tools 
Darryl Birkenfeld, Director, Ogallala Commons

Jeff Reid from the WTAMU Enterprise Center
presents on a financial projection model

Ogallala Commons put its Youth Engagement Programs in full display last week at two events.  On July 11^th, Julie Hodges moderated a panel entitled, “Engaging Youth – Securing the Future,” at the Texas Economic Development Council Summer Meeting at The Overton Hotel in Lubbock, TX.  Julie introduced OC’s programs, and found ways to involve OC Community Interns Rebecca Hopp, Masi Mejia, and Will Brewer, as well as a Youth E-Fair 1^st prize winner, Kristen True from Plainview, TX.

On July 12^th, OC co-presented a Training on Youth Engagement & Youth Entrepreneurship in conjunction with the WTAMU Enterprise Center from 9am-4pm at the Enterprise Center in Amarillo, TX. We were pleased to have 20 participants at the event, including Chris Sramek from Atwood, KS, and OC Board Member Bobby Gierisch from Austin, TX, as well as high school and college educators from New Mexico and Texas.  OC is gearing up to conduct 5 Youth Engagement Days in Texas, Colorado, and Kansas this fall. 

Supervisor Spotlight: Wilson, Texas (Justin McKibben and Shawna Jones)

Justin McKibben – Justin wears several hats around Wilson ISD. He currently holds the position of IT Director overseeing and purchasing new technology for a recent $1.5 million dollar grant, with another $2 million over 2 more years. He is also a certified Texas peace officer and is the School Resource Officer for the district. Justin is also the Youth Director for First Baptist Church of Wilson. Justin is currently married with 1 kid (an English Bulldog named Macie).

Shawna Jones – Shawna also works for Wilson ISD and is the Community in Schools liaison. She spends her time helping students and the community with daily issues and needs. She holds a regular “girls group” with teenage girls to talk about the issues in their lives. Shawna loves to travel the world and experience new cultures. Shawna is spending a month this year in Panama.

Intern Profile: Tristen Huseman

My name is Tristen Huseman.  I was raised in Nazareth, Texas until I was five years old.  This is when my family moved to Tulia, Texas, where I currently live.  I am the oldest of four children, I have one younger sister Dawn, and two younger brothers Collin and Ethan.  Next year, I will be a junior at Tulia High School.  I play alto saxophone in the Tulia Fightin’ Hornet Band, varsity basketball, varsity tennis, and I run track.  My internship is located at Tulia Junior High School.  My duties during my internship will include tutoring kids in math, helping with the special-needs kids during their summer school, and assisting with Tulia ISD’s summer food program that provides free meals to any children throughout the summer.

Intern Profile: Alyssa Irlbeck

"Hi, my name is Alyssa Irlbeck.  I grew up on a farm and ranch near Happy and Tulia, graduated from Texas Tech, and now [...] work with the City Manager of Tulia to get the satellite YMCA in Tulia up and running for my community internship.  I will also conduct surveys and compile data for the Economic Development Council (EDC), look into rural health care opportunities - both existing and ones we may be able to generate - to encourage young people to come back to our town, and work on establishing Tulia as a "Main Street" town."  [...] Community Internships through the Ogallala Commons - what a great chance to change the world by putting you in contact with others who can help you make it a little brighter and a little better than it was before.

Intern Profile: Haley Jacobsen

I’m Haley Jacobson from the small town of Arnold, Nebraska. I love taking pictures, watching movies, writing, and going to the lake. I just graduated on May 12, and I am looking forward to a great summer. In the fall I will head off to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I will be majoring in journalism and mass communications. In high school, I was involved in a lot of clubs and activities because we had such a small number of students. I participated in volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, one act, quiz bowl, student council, art club, band, teens against drugs and alcohol, journalism, and annual staff, as well as being involved in 4-H.

A couple of activities my internship [includes] are: setting up a local 4-H camp, creating a town brochure, and working with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to get an agricultural museum here in Arnold. Not only do I get to have a valuable internship experience, I have the chance to give back to the amazing little community that has helped raise me. 

Intern Profile: Catherine Jenkinson

Hello, all! My name is Catherine Jenkinson and I am the intern for the Wallace County Foundation for the second year this summer. I am from Wallace County, Kansas and I will be doing my internship at Williams Consulting with my supervisor, Rita Williams, who is a board member of the Wallace County Foundation. My work this summer will not involve accounting, however. Instead, I will be working on a fundraising letter that the foundation sends out in November to approximately seventeen-hundred people. This task will include ordering supplies, printing, cutting, labeling, and finally, stuffing the envelopes. I also will be working on an oral history project that is in the very early stages of development at this point. Furthermore, I will be planning a possible summer trip that the foundation may be putting on for the community, as well as coordinating the foundation files of the board members. I also will be doing other basic secretarial work that the foundation needs.

July News (1)

Week of OC Youth Engagement

Darryl Birkenfeld, Director, Ogallala Commons

Ogallala Commons will be very involved with youth engagement activities this week.  On July 11^th, OC will partner with Texas Rural Innovators to present “Engaging Youth – Securing the Future,” an afternoon forum highlighting youth engagement across the Ogallala Region and beyond, as part of the Texas Economic Development Council Summer Meeting at The Overton Hotel in Lubbock, TX.  The panel on youth engagement is organized by OC Board Member Bobby Gierisch, and presenters include Julie Hodges, OC Education Coordinator and Mary Libby Campbell, OC Board Vice-President.  A number of Community Interns living near Lubbock will attend the session, as well as various OC partners.

The next day, July 12^th, OC will co-present a Training on Youth Engagement &Youth Entrepreneurship in conjunction with the WTAMU Enterprise Center from 9am-4pm at the Enterprise Center in Amarillo, TX.  We will have educators from the Texas Panhandle-South Plains, as OC is starting a new Youth E-Fair in Borger, TX and new Youth Engagement Days in Dumas and Pampa, TX.  We will also be joined by our entrepreneur partners from Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas. 

OC Partner Community Turns 100

Megan England, OC Intern Coordinator

Local firefighters participate  in a good old-fashioned tug-o-war 
during the Campo Days Centennial Festival 
Firefighters' Muster.

Campo Days Centennial Festival in Campo, Colorado was a huge success! The celebration began on Friday evening, July 6th, with the "Campo's Got Talent" show that lasted nearly three hours and brought out all kinds of local talent! Saturday began early with a fundraising breakfast for the local volunteer fire department and many exciting events continued long into the evening, ending with a fireworks show and a marshmallow roast long after sunset. Some highlights of the day included the parade honoring many of Campo's long-standing citizens, a firefighters' muster, a giant slip'n'slide, and a performance by Ogallala Commons' Andy Wilkinson and his musical compatriots Andy and Alissa Hedges.

Sunday concluded the festival with a community church service in the park and more live music, this time from Paul Estep. After a potluck lunch worthy of a 100-year-birthday, "Campo-dians" past and present slowly went their separate ways, reminded again that "there's no place, any place, quite like this place".

Happy 100th, Campo!

Intern Profile: Shaelynn Wood

I’m Shaelynn Wood and I go to school in Campo, Colorado. I am 14 years old and I’m going into high school as a freshman. I’ve been going to school in Campo since 2nd grade. I have a sister that is about to turn 12 and a brother who is 9. I also have two step-sisters and one step-brother. When I get out of high school, I plan on going into the Navy and serve as a Nurse Practitioner. After serving in the Navy, I am hoping to go to University of Oklahoma. What I love to do most is play sports, basketball being my favorite. I also play volleyball, baseball, track, and swimming. I am also part of 4-H and the Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

I became interested in Ogallala Commons from my friend, now supervisor, Megan England and my superintendent, Mrs. Nikki Johnson. I attended the “Connecting Kids to Community” Megan and Kerra hosted last year and enjoyed knowing that I can do a lot to help with the community too.

Intern Profile: Mayra Gonzalez 

Hi! my name is Mayra Gonzalez...I was born in Mexico and was brought to the United States at eight years old, when my dad brought my whole family here to live with him; and since then, Wilson Texas has become my new home.  I have three older brothers, being the only girl and the baby is always great! The next school year, 2012-2013 I will be a senior in Wilson High School. Currently I am in the Upward Bound Program at Texas Tech University, a program that has brought many friends, growing experiences, and great memories to my life. Through my learning experiences in the Upward Bound program I started to look for more and more opportunities to grow and learn about the world around me and that led me to the Ogallala Commons Internship

This summer...I will be working on creating Science lessons to teach to a few kids in my community at our Summer Academy, and also helping to engage my community in our 100th anniversary this year. I am so excited to finally get an opportunity like this where I will learn so many new things and ways to better prepare myself for the future.

Intern Profile: Greg Laudenslager

My name is Greg and I look forward to another summer in Denver, working for the High Plains Food Coop. I look forward to long days, thunderstorms, bike rides, and most of all…BBQs! [...] So for those of you that did not get to follow my blog last summer, you now know that I am a strong supporter of BBQs and good food. To be specific, I am an advocate for local food that is grown with integrity. I believe passionately in farming methods that work with nature, utilizing the magnificence of its ecological processes as opposed to trying to control them. Permaculture and Biodynamic farming are two of such methods, the principles of which guide much of my daily life. This passion for ecological design has lead me to choose a career as a landscape architect. I am currently working towards a Masters of Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado-Denver. I am interested in all facets of landscape architecture, but I place particular emphasis on storm water & wastewater management, sustainable agriculture, and edible landscapes.

When I’m not working or studying Permaculture, I enjoy spending time in the mountains. I enjoy skiing, snowboarding, fly-fishing, mountain biking, climbing, backpacking, gardening, and cooking. I love life and I am thankful for everyday. I appreciate the ups and downs of life and I am out to make the most of everyday!

Intern Profile: Joshua Nameth

 My name is Joshua and I'm from Fowler, Colorado which is a small town of about 1,100 people located in the Arkansas River valley of southeastern Colorado.  I'm 17 and have three younger brothers, but one is bigger than me.  My family lives on a farm where we grow produce for a CSA in Fowler and Colorado Springs. We also raise pigs, chickens and have a milk cow.   I like living on a farm and being part of a small town where we know the people that run the businesses. I enjoy mechanical work and fixing things I [also] like to garden and farm and I've been thinking about developing my own business based on the farm.

My internship will be interesting. I will be working for Arkansas Valley Organic Growers which is a co-op that buys produce from farms in southeastern Colorado and sells it to restaurants in Colorado Springs. I will be helping with the produce pickups, deliveries, record-keeping, learning the computer programs and making sure that the records, paperwork and deliveries are correct.

June News (4)

2012 Intern T-Shirt Design

Have you seen an intern in a shirt that looks like this (see below)? Did you wonder what it meant? Check out this explanation by the designer, OC's Education Coordinator, Julie Hodges.

"The 2012 Intern T-Shirt design is based on a map designed to show traffic volume on highways throughout the United States.  The thicker lines indicate more traffic. This year I wanted to do something with the t-shirt that showed our intern communities and the fact that they are in rural areas.  I thought the traffic patterns showed an interesting way of looking at the Great Plains."

Youth Engagement and Entrepreneurship Training

Students participate in the 2011 Campo Youth Engagement Day

Summer brings opportunities for continuing education.  We want to let you know about a Training on Youth Engagement & Youth Entrepreneurship that Ogallala Commons is conducting in conjunction with the WTAMU Enterprise Center and Leading/EDG on Thursday, July 12 from 9am-4pm at the WTAMU Enterprise Center in Amarillo.  There is no cost to the workshop, and the Enterprise Center will cover the lunch and refreshments. The purpose of the workshop is to provide program overview to teachers participating in Ogallala Commons Youth Engagement Days and Entrepreneur Fairs, and to assist educators in preparing an appropriate business plan for the Youth Entrepreneur Fairs.  OC hopes that interested folks will attend this workshop to learn how to use the new financial projection model.  Please let Darryl know if you would like to attend the event, so we can have an accurate lunch count (darrylb@amaonline.com or 806-945-2255)

Intern Profile: Cynthia Buster

Hi! My name is Cynthia Buster and I live in Lubbock, Texas, with my husband, David, our daughter Ashleigh, and our pets, Norman, a dachshund, and Klondike, a guinea pig. I grew up in Fort Worth and completed my Bachelor’s degree in History with Secondary Education Certification from Tarleton State University in May 2010. The summer after graduation, I was accepted at Texas Tech University to work on my Master of Science in Heritage Management. I will be graduating in August 2012. I am currently an Ogallala Commons Community Intern working in Nazareth, Texas, producing the exhibit about the village’s veterans and their service to their country, community, and families for their annual German Festival.

The result of Cynthia's internship is the historical exhibit, “Lest We Forget: Stories of Nazareth Military Veterans”, and it will be open to the public inside Holy Family Church during the 40th Annual German Festival in Nazareth, Texas on Saturday, July 14th from 10am to 4pm. The posters and veterans story books will be eventually housed at the Francis Wilhelm American Legion Post No. 528 and oral histories with veterans will be archived at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University.

Intern Profile: Rebecca Garza

Hello everyone! My name is Rebecca Lynn Garza. I am a twenty-nine year old mother of four and wife of ten years. I am originally from Springfield, MO but have been raised and raised a family of my own in a little town called Wilson in the heart of West Texas. I learned about Ogallala Commons Community Internship [Program] through a good friend and employee of our school, Nancy Walker.  I want to be a part of my town’s story so for my internship I will be aiding in the preparation of our 100th year anniversary celebration. The other major role I play in my life is a student, which I have pursued to complete an Associates in Business Administration and currently working toward a Bachelors in Accounting. It is my dream to one day own and operate my very own business and for this reason the other two portions of my internship will include learning how to write grant applications and engaging the youth of Wilson to understand the importance of entrepreneurship and creating and maintaining local businesses.

Intern Profile: Ty Ownbey

Hello, my name is Ty Ownbey, and I’m a community intern for the small town of Campo, CO, [where] I’ve lived in my entire life. I am 14 years old and a freshman at Campo School. Campo has about 150 residents inside the city limits, and about 50 students at Campo School, K-12. I have lived both on a farm and ranch, currently I live on a ranch that’s about ten miles outside of Campo. I live there with my mother and father. I also have two sisters that have both graduated out of Campo and returned after college to the town of Campo. Some of my favorite hobbies are fishing, hunting, playing basketball, and attending community functions. I’m also a member in our school’s Youth Advisory Council “YAC” and Student Council, outside of school I am in 4-H. When I get older, I want to work for Colorado  Parks and Wildlife, because I have always loved the outdoors and I want to do my part to preserve Colorado’s natural beauty. I thank that this internship will help me learn responsibility, and work ethic. Which I think is the back bone of upholding a good job in the years to come. I also hope that this job will [also] bring me closer to my community and its history.