Bryanna Ramos NRCS-NRCDP Third Party Intern, Hired at Direct Hire Event

“I applied and was accepted for an internship and placed in Waconia, MN. Despite being from Los Angeles, where my background in agriculture set me apart, I felt I had finally found a career where I could practice land stewardship. This internship allowed me to bridge my childhood experiences with my goals career goals with my values.”

“In this role, I felt like a steward of the land, helping people to help the environment. Working in Minnesota allowed me to grow outside of my comfort zone, both as a person, and a future natural resource conservationist”.

Carter Hall Earth Team Volunteer to Pathways Intern Program

“Starting with the NRCS in the winter months, meant he couldn’t go out in the field very much. Getting out in the field for site visits in the summer, coupled with training, and other learning opportunities in soil health, is exciting. It’s important to be able to tie knowledge together between college textbooks, and actual on-the-job (OJT)experience.” 

Charles Goodluck 1994 Tribal Scholar, Converted Upon Graduation

“I learned about this great opportunity by attending an event with the American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society (AISES),” said Charles. “This is a great organization that really cares about students, and their future.  My attendance and involvement at the AISES recruitment event led to an internship for 2 summers in Lockeford, California.”

Josie Chapa NRCS-NRCDP Third Party Intern to NRCS Employee

Josie is quick to point out that she was grateful for the learning opportunity at NRCS. “It was a great way to figure out if I wanted to consider range management as a career, and this internship pushed me in that direction,” said Josie. 

Pualani Horn From Veteran to NRCS Employee

“Everyone is willing to share their knowledge. Additionally, remote work with USDA has been amazing. The functionality of the computers, and service received from the IT specialists is top-notch. It sure makes working a remote job a lot easier, and more satisfying.” 

Chali Simpson NRCS-NRCDP Third Party Intern, then Pathways Intern.  Will convert upon graduation.

“I am continuing in my Pathways position as I complete my range and soil ecology doctoral program at Texas A&M University and plan for a permanent conversion upon graduation,” said Chali. “My career aspirations are to utilize my graduate degree and NRCS employment to link science, ag producers, and the public through the power of education to build healthy soil, grow healthy food and to raise healthy people.” 

Sarah Milad Hired at Direct Hiring Event

“Since I cared about learning more, sustainable agriculture, and soil management practices, I decided to go through with the application for becoming an NRCS soil conservationist,” said Sarah. “Being surrounded by folks at NRCS that care about the land and people is important to me.”

Eve Kreiling NRCS-NRCDP Third Party Intern to Pathways Intern Program

“If you are applying for a Pathways internship, don’t give up, don’t doubt yourself,” said Eve. “I did feel the application process was difficult, it’s important that you ask questions, stay engaged with the application process. Applying for jobs can be a roller-coaster type of experience, and can influence self-confidence, it’s important that you stick to it, and persevere through the process.”

Jose Calzadilla Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Intern to Pathways Intern

“I was able to learn about coworkers’ interests inside and outside of work. It was also fun adding visual effects and striking edits to make the videos more engaging to watch.”

Kenneth Frazier 1890s Scholar Student, Will convert upon graduation

“I would say my experience with NRCS so far has been nothing but a great learning journey for me. It’s like a family, everyone knows everyone within the agency and are always one call away. Don’t rush the process, good things take time.”

Shanquanletha Cain  1890s Scholars Student, Served as On-campus NRCS Student Ambassador, to NRCS Employee

“Serving as an NRCS Ambassador has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I have had the opportunity to network and work alongside dedicated individuals who are committed to informing many others of the great works of the USDA-NRCS. I had the pleasure of meeting with professionals who are dedicated to helping others preserve our natural resources and supporting sustainable agriculture. Serving the role of Student Ambassador has truly deepened my understanding of conservation efforts and enabled me to make a great impact on the community’s environmental stewardship. I am proud and honored to have served as the 2023-2024 USDA-NRCS Student Ambassador for Alcorn State University, the role played a part in grooming me for the position that I hold now as a Soil Conservationist.”