By Beverly Rosenbaum "Interns are what make our office hum, especially in the summertime. It is wonderful to have all of these bright and eager young people with us, and we do everything we can to ensure that they have a rewarding, educational experience while they're here." - Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's goal of supporting education involves much more than just providing college scholarships to deserving students. Funding grants and intern programs is also important. Since 1990, Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with support from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, has administered the Congressional Intern Program, a college credit program that sends selected students to Washington, D.C., to work in the offices of members of the House of Representatives and Senate. With the Show's support, Texas Tech University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources inaugurated a similar program in the summer of 1998. Students are sent for internships each school semester.
"Students have an opportunity to observe how the congressional staff supports members of Congress and how federal policy affects individual farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and rural communities," said Dr. Joe D. Townsend, Texas A&M University associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "As a result of their academic training in agricultural and natural resource policy, students are able to assist congressional offices in communicating, interpreting and evaluating policy issues related to food, fiber and the environment. At the same time, they benefit from opportunities to improve their own communication and leadership skills," he said. Each semester, 80 or more students submit applications to a selection committee for the 15 positions in Washington. The committee examines each submission for demonstrated leadership, knowledge of agriculture and natural resource issues, grade point ratio, interview responses, residence in the congressional district and completion of an agricultural policy course in their junior or senior year. "The Washington, D.C., intern program is an outstanding way to enhance the educational experience for students and provides members of Congress with highly intelligent and motivated interns to assist in their offices," said Congressman Max Sandlin, 1st Congressional District of Texas. Students become employees of congressional offices where their duties include monitoring legislative actions of House and Senate committees, answering constituent requests and assisting in communication with district agricultural leaders. They also perform routine tasks essential to office operations, such as research, phone duty, visitor reception and guiding tours. Christy Karlovetz from Tyler, Texas, a 1997 Texas A&M University graduate who majored in forestry, interned in the office of U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, 4th Congressional District of Texas. She greeted visiting constituents and conducted tours of the Capitol. Scott Heselmeyer, a 1998 graduate of Texas A&M University from Thrall, Texas, showed the class reserve champion Brahman steer at the 1994 Houston Livestock Show and used his 4-H scholarship to attend college. After applying for the intern program, he was selected to work in the House Agriculture Committee office in the summer of 1998, doing research, as well as writing position statements and press releases on agricultural issues. Justin Wood from Coahoma, Texas, another Texas A&M University student, is a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo $10,000 scholarship recipient. Assigned to U.S. Rep. Charles W. Stenholm's office in the summer of 1998, he earned six hours of course credit by preparing a paper and presentation of his Washington experience for prospective classmates applying for future internships. "The interns assigned to the House Agriculture Committee have become an indispensable part of the day-to-day operations of the committee itself," said Stenholm, 17th Congressional District of Texas. "For months, they do research and write reports, attend meetings and hearings, answer telephones and assist their committee colleagues in a number of ways. In the end, these young people leave Capitol Hill knowing that, through this once-in-a-lifetime work experience, they have gained a better understanding of the legislative process through their participation on a committee staff," he said. Pamilyn Scott, a 1998 graduate of Texas Tech University from Idalou, Texas, used a Show $10,000 FFA scholarship to attend college. She was accepted to the intern program and, while in Washington, accepted a paid staff assistant position in U.S. Rep. Larry Combest's 19th Congressional District office. An agricultural communications major, she believes she owes many of her successes to the opportunities provided her by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. "The bright, young people who have interned in my office have contributed to its efficiency," said Congressman Henry Bonilla, 23rd Congressional District of Texas. "They help out in every aspect of the workload. Their willingness and dedication make the internship program indispensable. In fact, I've even hired a couple of them as permanent staffers," he said. Zane Willard, a 1993 Texas A&M University graduate from Uvalde, Texas, worked in Stenholm's office in the summer of 1993. Following his internship, he was appointed to work on the Texas Agriculture Summit Project funded by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Hired from that project by the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, he was appointed executive director of the Mohair Council in 1997. This completed a cycle begun in high school 4-H, when he won first place class ribbons showing mohair-producing Angora goats at the Houston Livestock Show. "I have participated in the Texas A&M Washington, D.C., intern program for over five years and have always been impressed with the high level of intellect, insight and common sense that these young people have brought to my office. They arrive here so well prepared that, to a significant degree, I depend on them in the same way I count on my regular staff - researching issues, investigating answers to constituent mail and covering committee hearings," said Stenholm. "I have been particularly impressed by their knowledge of issues, as well as their hard work and dedication to the job - all of which are encouraging signs for their bright future," said Congressman Pete Sessions, 5th Congressional District of Texas."The intern program positions these students with a much broader horizon and vision of what agriculture is really about," said Dr. John Abernathy, Dean of the College of Agriculture Science and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University. "These programs help us to attract top-level students to agriculture and change the perception of modern agriculture. The future of agriculture systems - precision agriculture - requires us to attract top people to the agriculture programs at Tech," he said. As of the summer of 1998, 137 students from Texas A&M University and six students from Texas Tech University have used the opportunity provided them by the Congressional Intern Program to experience government firsthand. They were able to look for jobs, commute via the Metro subway, meet new people and make contacts that would have been impossible "back home." The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's support of education allows exceptional students to take advantage of exceptional opportunities.
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