When it comes to the benefits of my internship in relation to my mentor’s organization, Jacob and I had an in-depth talk about this. One of the main things that the USDA-NRCS has been focusing on was outreach. However, with their busy schedules and all of the paperwork (and fieldwork) they have to focus on during the day, it is sometimes difficult to have extensive outreach.

Luckily for this internship, the USDA-NRCS and Kenan Fellows partnership will allow me to serve as a first-hand opportunist that will be able to share some of the experiences that I had with my mentor. Also, because I am working with Duplin County Schools, partnering with the USDA will have a major impact and serve as a resource for other teachers.

As a matter of fact, Jacob, Ms. Vickie, and I talked about having the USDA meeting with the Duplin Board of Ed. to discuss if they can be attending Convocation for Duplin County Schools on August 22. This would be a huge outreach because all of the teachers here in Duplin County would be attending. This would help my mentor’s organization receive more publicity and perhaps get them to work with other school districts in Duplin County.