Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nomineesâ successes.
These are their stories.
Indiana INTERNnet: You contributed several articles and reports to Seedstock EDGE, one of which was determined to be the most memorable article published, and you also designed many pages of advertising. What was your favorite article to write and why?
Holly Hopkins: The first article I wrote for the magazine is the one that always comes to mind titled, Show Gilt to Sow. I think a lot of it being my favorite has to do with the fact that I remember brainstorming the idea with the team, putting together my source contact list and even shooting the photos at the farm of one of our breeders. Then, watching it go through the entire editing processes and seeing it published in the July issue was just such a group effort and rewarding feeling that it set the bar pretty high for the others.
IIN: How did this experience working with the magazine help you grow professionally?
HH: From the very beginning of my internship, I was always being introduced to or put in contact with industry leaders. My professional network grew tremendously throughout the summer because of those introductions. I was able to develop better communication skills and learn what it takes to work as an effective and efficient team. Through my internship, I was able to develop close relationships with the entire staff at the National Swine Registry (NSR), especially the Marketing and Communications team. Those relationships have been the most influential in my professional development and are relationships I hope to keep for years to come.
Hopkins with co-workers at the National Junior Summer Spectacle after a 15+ hour work day.
IIN: The first time you applied with NSR, you didn’t receive the position but took the initiative anyway to write copy for their new website. What motivated you to stay connected with NSR?
HH: I have grown up around hogs my entire life and after serving as the editor of my high school yearbook for two years, the internship was the perfect fitâthe only thing that wasnât was time. I originally applied as a young, probably too shy, freshman in college. In my ârejectionâ e-mail if you will, the NSR actually reached out to me and said when school starts back up next fall to stay in touch, and I did just that. I had my heart set on being a part of the organization, so I began by asking myself how I could set myself apart from my peers. I realized I needed to take a few more communications classes, so I changed my schedule around to get some additional experience, and I also realized I needed to take responsibility in leadership role in the community and on campus. My motivation was making sure that time was no longer a problem. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
IIN: In the Fall, youâll finish your Agriculture Economics degree at Purdue University. What are your future plans?
Holly Hopkins: This summer I will again be working as an intern, but in a completely different direction than last summer. I am the Commercial Ag Loan Intern for First Farmers Bank and Trust in Northern Indiana. I will more than likely pursue my masterâs degree in Agriculture Leadership/Communications or Agriculture Finance, but that is still to be determined.
Hopkins served as as an Ag Ambassador for the College of Agriculture at Purdue University.
