Emily Ries:Co-Cirricular Sharing

My time as an intern for the past two years at Michigan Farm Bureau has allowed me to apply my experience directly to my Learning Vision Statement. My statement includes being involved in the agricultural community, demonstrating leadership, building confidence, and even presenting workshops—my internship helped to fulfill each of these.

I learned how to dedicate myself to helping the agricultural industry and community. By working on projects that involve communicating programs to farmers, I learned how to apply my skills learned in classes at Michigan State University directly to my projects at work including writing and design. By attending different events sponsored by Michigan Farm Bureau, I was exposed to the professional side of being an employee in the organization. My experiences of attending meetings, serving as a camp counselor and even an interviewer of farmers for a DVD have given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge about the agricultural industry and community.

I am better equipped with confidence thanks to my internship at Michigan Farm Bureau. My projects have challenged me to take responsibility, to be reliable, to work as a team member and to continually strive toward the mission of the organization.

A great memory that I have with Michigan Farm Bureau that associates to my Vision Learning Statement is the opportunity that I was given to present a workshop about animal welfare to a group of high school FFA members.  It was during my preparation for the workshop that I realized that I had been granted a great opportunity to educate others about an important issue and to represent the Michigan Farm Bureau at the same time.

This was a great co-curricular experience that has taught me many valuable skills for my future career.