June News (3)

Intern Profile: Alejandra Chavarria

Hello everyone! I am Alejandra Chavarria and live in Hart, TX. I am 19 years old and am a sophomore at West Texas A&M University. I am majoring in nursing to become a Registered Nurse and hopefully then get my masters to become an anesthetist nurse. I [also] recently got married.

This is my second internship with Ogallala Commons. I hope to do much more than in my first. My first internship was more in focus with my community this second internship is helping me to learn more about my career. I will be doing my internship in Dimmitt, TX, at the Castro County Healthcare Hospital which I am very excited about. 

Intern Profile: Alyssa Evalle

Hello...my name is Alyssa Evalle!

Born and raised in San Jose, California, I came to Amarillo with my family in 2004. In the past eight years, I have come to call the wide open Texas Panhandle my home. Loving the outdoors from an early age, I originally wanted to pursue a Wildlife Biology degree in college, but through the influence of a book called “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” I became more drawn to organic farming...Eventually, I would like to manage my own organic farm and participate in a local farmer’s market. [This summer], I will be assisting Justin and Cara Young at the High Plains Food Bank’s very own organic urban garden. Although I worked at the HPFB’s garden last summer as well, my accountability to Ogallala Commons will take this year’s internship to another level.

Intern Profile: Jacob Hamby

Hello everyone.  My name is Jacob Hamby [and] I am from Canadian, Texas. Canadian is a small town with a populaion of less than 3,000 people. Canadian is supported primarily by ranching and oilfield. For my internship, I will be working with the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District under Janet Guthrie. I hope to accomplish numerous things through this internship, the main points of which include conducting water sampling to test water quality, and constructing water harvesting containers so as to utilize the infrequent amounts of rainfall that Canadian receives. By attending orientation I learned many things about the concerns and priorities of Ogallala Commons. I learned that they truly value the impact that young people can have on communities and the world. I also learned that community service can be a great benefit to the person giving that service. I learned that networking can provide great opportunities for me to get to know people who could possibly be future employers, or who can provide contact information for future employers.

Supervisor Spotlight: Simone Cahoj

The first intern ever for Ogallala Commons (OC) is a seeker of opportunity and a hard worker. Her search as a high school senior inspired the beginnings of OC's Community Internship program. In the summer of 2007, Simone Cahoj of Atwood, Kansas, approached OC Director Darryl Birkenfeld about the possibility of interning with Ogallala Commons over the summer. Simone’s internship included an extensive tour of communities in four states the High Plains region, as well as assisting in the planning and marketing of events to showcase her hometown. Atwood [also] presented opportunities for Simone to return as a Community Intern in 2008 & 2009. Simone has also worked as Ogallala Common’s Intern Coordinator.

Throughout high school and college, Simone planned on returning to a rural community after graduation. Her experience as a Community Intern exposed her to ways to build a career in rural communities and taught her to enjoy the region she grew up in. After graduating with a degree in business from the University of Kansas, Simone became the Economic Development Director for Wichita County, (Leoti, KS) and is now charged with the task of helping entrepreneurs and engaging youth in the community. She does an excellent job, and this summer, she is supervising her first Community Intern: Kassandra Baker.

Thanks, Simone!

June News (2)

Intern Profile: Jill Bergling

Hi everyone! My name is Jill Bergling and I am from the small rural town of Atwood, KS. I was born and raised on a family farm southwest of Atwood, and as a result I help out with wheat harvest and raising cattle. This coming fall I will be a junior at Kansas State University where I am majoring in Family Studies and Human Services with a minor in Leadership Studies. My main project this summer for the internship will be to work with the newly developed dental clinic and develop a medical plan. I will also be working with the already developed food co-op, assisting in the dental clinic, working with the Hospital Capital Campaign, and working with various home town competitiveness activities and projects.Before I came to the orientation I only had a vague idea of what Ogallala Commons was and did, but I didn’t realize how big and involved it was. It was great to see the number of interns wanting to make a difference in their communities. It was neat to see how Ogallala Commons is such a big part in networking which can be such a huge part of future careers. The OC can be such a big stepping stone to later careers in life. One other thing that I found interesting was the fact that the symbol has meaning which ties the whole organization together. All of this knowledge will help me go through the internship now and can also continue to help me later on in life.
Intern Profile: William Brewer
Hello, fellow interns. I’m Will Brewer from Arlington, TX, but for the past four years, Lubbock has functioned as my adopted home. The wide open space and laid back atmosphere of the Llano Estacado stand in stark contrast to the clustered freeways and hurried existence offered to me during my younger years growing up in the Metroplex. Not only is life vastly different here, but so is the manner in which people pursue it. The sense of community has a tangible presence on everyday routine and family is singularly offered up as the most important component of life. Not to say metropolitan areas don’t have many of the same qualities, it’s just rural and small towns offer them in far greater abundance. 

This life lessons component of my education has been central to my education and maturation over the past four years. The curriculum taught in the lecture halls at Texas Tech is the same everywhere in the country, but the lessons taught by the Llano community are unique to this place. It is this component I want to receive more of and it is this quality that exemplifies the Ogallala Commons Community Internship Program.

Intern Profile: Justy Bullington


Born and raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska, I have been lucky enough to experience all that it has to offer. Mullen, Nebraska, is where I call home, and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the opportunites it has given me.

I was very active in my community by being a Girl Scout and earning my Silver and Gold Awards. I also was involved in school activities. I was a three-sport athlete, member of National Honor Society, and held high positions in various extra-curricular activities such as Family Career and Community Leaders of America and Future Farmers of America. I graduated from Mullen High School in the spring of 2011 and began to continue my education at Chadron State College. I am a member of the CSC Cheer squad, an Admissions Ambassador, a member of the Public Relations Club, and hold a 4.0 GPA. I am currently majoring in Communications Arts with an emphasis in Public Relations. I have enjoyed every minute of the college experience. I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people. Chadron State College has the “small town” atmosphere that the Sandhills does, and that’s what really attracted me to the school (getting to drive the beautiful Highway 2 is also a plus). With my major, I plan on working [...] as a Public Relations Representative and working with people. Nothing is more beneficial to me than working for the place I love the most, the Sandhills. This internship gives me the opportunity to get hands-on experience and [makes] me more marketable in the workforce.

Intern Profile: Samantha Carter

Hello! My name is Samantha Carter. I am doing my internship with Ogallala Commons for the Tucumcari Historical Museum. Tucumcari is a small town in New Mexico with a population of just under 5,000 and about 9,000 in the entire Quay County. This is the second internship I have done with the THM, my first one being last year in the summer of 2011. My job as an intern is to catalog and do inventory on all the artifacts and different items in the museum.

Last year was very fun for me, in that I was able to learn so much about the history of Tucumcari and New Mexico. I was able to help set up the system on how to catalog and inventory all the items in the museum as well as several other projects during my time at the museum. Since then, I have stopped in from time to time to help the museum with the technological part of the inventory process since they have continued on after my internship. Last year I was able to get a large amount completed, over 1,500 items which was considerably more than what was expected. I have my work cut out for me this year as they have months of paperwork just waiting to be added to the database system!

Intern Supervisor Profile: Nikki Johnson
Nikki Johnson, member of Ogallala Commons Board of Directors and intern supervisor, got connected with OC in 2007, and that has made all the difference. Her hometown, Campo, Colorado, is a village, but it is a center of OC activity, having a greater impact than many metro areas in Colorado, mainly because of Nikki's ability to call forth and mentor young people, and open doors for them to grow and become empowered as active citizens in their communities. A big reason for this is Nikki’s job as superintendent of schools at the Campo School District (not to mention the countless other ways she stays involved in the community). Nikki works literally night and day to see Campo School and its students thrive. From the local level to the state level, she is a strong voice for Colorado’s small rural schools.
The students and staff at Campo School often joke about who is first in line to talk when she gets back from one meeting and before she heads to the next. In reality though, they all know she will make time to hear from everyone, because her "office of inspiration" is always open! In her “spare” time, Nikki even publishes Campo’s weekly newspaper, the “Monday Morning Update”.

Many thanks, 'Mrs. Nikki'!

June News (1)

OC Community Intern Orientation 2012

By Julie Hodges, OC Education Coordinator

32 of the Ogallala Commons Interns!

On May 30th and 31st, more than 30 Ogallala Commons Community Interns from Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, along with two dozen intern supervisors, gathered in Amarillo, Texas for an orientation sponsored by the CHS Foundation.

Over the two days, interns learned about Ogallala Commons, the National Farmers
Union, community asset building, grant writing, and how to begin and complete successful internship projects. Ogallala Commons Education Coordinator Julie Hodges gave several presentations on tools and procedures to assist interns. When asked about the event, she remarked, “I always leave any activity with Community Interns feeling inspired by all of the amazing things they are doing in their communities. This group will complete projects that not only add value to themselves on a personal and professional level, but their internships will also contribute great benefits to their communities.”

Ogallala Community Internships are quite different from what most of us think of when
we imagine an internship. Each of the interns will be working in a rural community or urban setting with an organization, non-profit, or small business. The work plan that interns follow is carefully
designed to take full advantage of their skills, talents, and interests--and at the same time to
complete a project or tasks for the organization or community they are working for. In 2012, Community interns range in ages from 15 to nearly 40 years old. Throughout the summer, they will complete around 220 hours of internship work and contribute 10 hours of community service, while being paid an hourly stipend. Interns will chronicle their experiences and post photos on Ogallala Commons' Community Internship Blogs (www.ogallalaintern.blogspot.com - follow the links on the right hand side of the page to see all 6 blogs).

OC Interns left their mark (the OC Logo)
 at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo

Another important aspect of Community Internships is a deeper exploration of the places where interns live. As rural communities throughout the Great Plains region suffer the negative impacts of youth outmigration, Ogallala Commons strives to demonstrate to interns the opportunities and richness in their hometowns– inviting them to consider coming back to live, raise their families and work. To spark their imagination for exploring nearby places, interns and supervisors visited the iconic Cadillac Ranch, on the outskirts of Amarillo--and they finished their first day together with dinner and free time.

On the second day of orientation, everyone rose early to contribute one hour of their required community service--at the High Plains Food Bank Garden in Amarillo.

OC interns helped with harvest, planting, and weeding at the
High Plains Food Bank Garden during Intern Orientation.

The Garden, a multi-year partner in OC's Community Intern Program, grows organic produce which is used to provide over 1,000 meals per day to low-income children in Amarillo as part of the Kids Café Program. Community Interns pulled weeds, harvested peas and planted tomatoes during the early morning. Afterwards, they were given a tour of the High Plains Food Bank. During the remainder of the day, interns received further enrichment through short workshops on personality types, the power of networking, healthy lifestyles, technology tips, and a keynote presentation by William Nelson, President of the CHS Foundation and V.P. of CHS Corporate Citizenship.

Intern Supervisor Profile: Mark Castillo

Darryl Birkenfeld, Director, Ogallala Commons

Like all supervisors in OC Community Intern Program, Mark Castillo wears many hats.  During the week, he is a high school Spanish teacher, tennis coach, and adviser to the National Honor Society and the Student Council in Hart, TX.  Mark has worked at Hart High School for 19 years. On weekends and during the summer, he also clerks at the Naz Stop, a convenience store eleven miles up the road in Nazareth.  A unique feature of Mark’s life is that everyone knows him and he knows the names of nearly everyone in two different towns! 

Mark has been a part of Ogallala Commons youth engagement work from the beginning—when the first Youth Engagement Day was held at Hart H.S. in 2007.  At every event, Mark not only finds the time to attend—he also makes sure to bring students along from his community.  For three consecutive years, Mark has helped to recruit and fund interns.  As a result, 6 Community Internships have been created in Hart, TX, and OC could not have accomplished this feat without the participation, dedication, and supervision provided by Mark Castillo. ¡Muchísimas gracias, Señor Marcos!

Intern Profile: Syndee Adams

Hello! I’m Syndee Adams. This is my [first] blog ever. I was born and raised in Superior, Nebraska. I studied two years at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Agribusiness before transferring to Kansas State University, where I’m majoring in Agriculture Economics and getting a minor in Animal Science. In my spare time, I love showing and riding horses, and being away from the city life and being back home on the farm.
I’m going to do my internship on Kansas State University campus in Hale Library. I will be collecting databases of the contents of over one hundred boxes that [are] housed at the Capper Co-op Center in the library. These boxes are the remains of records of Farmland Industries. Farmland Industries grain side evolved from the Kansas Farmers Union Jobbing Association. [I will also be] collecting data that shows how the structure of the Co-op changed and evolved from 1907 on.

I have never ever heard of Ogallala Commons before. I have learned that it is a big non-profit organization that provides education and leadership to give a boost to the communities in the region of the High Plains-Ogallala Aquifer.
This information will help me with my Community Internship by providing education to Kansas Farmers Union and the public about how the Co-op developed and how the Farmland Industries evolved from the Kansas Farmers Union Jobbing Association.

I’m excited for this internship to begin and all the information that will be learned and shared about the agriculture industry!
Intern Profile: Kassandra Baker

I [Kassandra] am going to be a senior at Wichita County High school this coming year. I am not sure what I want to do after high school. I have an older sister and two older brothers who have all graduated from college and [are] now living back close to home. I live in a very small town called Marienthal [Kansas]. I have always lived in Marienthal, so I am very used to small towns and plan on moving back after college. Leoti is where I am doing my internship. I will be working with Simone the eco devo [Economic Development] director for Wichita County. She has a lot planned for me: like to work on the Alumni Database [from] 1995 to now. I am working on the Alumni Database so they have it ready because our all school reunion is this year. I will also be doing a fundraiser to help out of Cinema at City Hall. Cinema at City Hall is where we show outdoor movies and everybody brings what they want to sit on and we all watch a great movie outdoors. I also get to organize an Entrepreneurship Day camp. When I first started, I had no idea what Ogallala Commons was, but while going to Texas, I learned what they do and how they help all the little communities. I learned some great stuff we can try to do in our county and learned how to write grants if I would ever have to.

Intern Profile: Samuel ‘Sammy’ Beanes

I [Sammy] am an average guy in a small little town here in Texas. I live in the town [of] Hart, TX, population of about 1,100. Although there are little things to do here, with awesome friends and the right mind there is plenty to do. I am sixteen years old and going to be a junior in high school along with my class of seventeen. I am a member of student council and National Honor Society at my school. I don’t really like writing or reading, but I will do whatever it takes to be successful. I love playing sports and hanging out with all my awesome friends here in Hart. I love to play football, basketball, and tennis, but tennis is probably my top sport, only because I’m pretty good at it. I am doing this internship this summer here in the community of Hart. I plan on making an impact on the people here. I would love to demonstrate to others how important it is to do things for our community and the people in it. I plan on doing my ten hours of community work trying to make the community look like a place to be. I may do some yard and garden work and cleaning anything that I can. I’m also going down to a fertilizer company just outside of town called Wilbur Ellis. I still haven’t heard what I will be doing there but I’m very positive that whatever it is I do there and anywhere else in the community of Hart, TX will be a great and awesome experience for me. J

Intern Profile: Bradley Benavidez
Hi! My name is Bradley Benavidez. I am 17 years old and I will be a senior at Kress High School. I was born and raised in Tulia, Texas. I am very active in my church, 4-H, and school. My internship activities will take place at Tulia Public Schools, Kress Senior Citizens, Swisher Co. Public Library and Tulia Christian Fellowship. I enjoy being outdoors and being involved with wildlife and nature.
I have visited the Ogallala Commons Playa Classroom. Driving through our area, one would not expect that what seems to be a dry lakebed is actually a prairie wetland. At the Playa Classroom, I learned about what the Ogallala Commons’ purpose is and how it works. This goes along well with one of my major 4-H projects, entomology. I was very surprised to find out that the Ogallala Commons covers a very large area from Seguin, Texas all the way to Nebraska. I was also very surprised to learn that some of the previous interns are people that I am well acquainted with. Some ways that I will be able to incorporate the Ogallala Commons into my work is that I will be working in and around the land I love and that is why this was created to preserve the land where we live. I am very excited about getting the opportunity to be a summer intern for the Ogallala Commons and I know that this will make an impact on my life that I know will be amazing.