Photo by Tom Campbell

Nels and Sharon Ackerson sponsor five summer internships each year in Washington, D.C., for Purdue Agriculture students.

How can you help today’s students succeed? What impact can you have on the future of Purdue Agriculture? The opportunities are only limited by your imagination.

Each summer five agriculture students have the opportunity to participate in the Washington, D.C., Public Policy Internship Program. Participants must be Purdue Agriculture students who have completed their sophomore year. The rigorous selection process seeks to find students with exceptional academic records, strong leadership skills, solid written and verbal communication skills, and self-discipline. Students must also be highly motivated and interested in public policy as it relates to agriculture.

This program was established with the support of Nels and Sharon Ackerson, whose funding helps defray a portion of the students’ expenses. Nels Ackerson, BS ’67, honorary degree ’05, is an attorney with offices in Indiana and Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of Purdue’s agricultural economics program. He takes a personal interest in the students and often meets with them through the summer. Ackerson advises the interns to seek out opportunities: “Students who are determined to gain the most from their summer experiences seize opportunities. They don’t wait for them. In every organization, members who look for unselfish ways to help their colleagues and who seek ways to benefit the entire organization usually end up with the greatest rewards. And they deserve them.”

Among the organizations where students have interned are the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and the World Bank. In addition, interns have served in the offices of Indiana Sens. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar. Many students who have participated in the program seek out other internship opportunities and return to Washington for additional semesters.

Bowman

Lindsay Bowman, a May 2007 graduate who participated in the program the summer of 2006, is one student who is returning to Washington, but not for an internship. She recently accepted a position with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, an organization she became familiar with during her internship last summer.

“My internship was most valuable because of the doors it opened for me and the many opportunities I had while in Washington,” she says. “I was able to interact with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at various industry events. Through those meetings I was able to learn more about a wonderful association where I have just accepted my first position.”

What makes Bowman’s experience exceptional is that she had set a very specific career goal — “to work for a breed association of beef cattle promoting the breed” — and the internship made it possible for her to meet that goal.

Of the interns and the program, Ackerson says: “I have been profoundly impressed with the quality of the intellects and, even more important, the content of the character of the Purdue public policy interns who have come to Washington. They were mature and well prepared when they came. They have contributed, sometimes mightily, to the work and achievements of the organizations where they served. And they returned to West Lafayette wiser and better prepared for the adventures of life. It’s a joy to be a part of this excellent program.”

How can your gift change the lives of Purdue Agriculture students? What impact will your support have on the future of Purdue Agriculture — in Indiana, across the nation or around the world? Members of the Development Office are always available to help you explore how your generosity can best benefit both your vision and Purdue Agriculture. Contact us at (800) 718-0094 or agdevelopment@purdue.edu.

Demerly

We are pleased to welcome Jeff Demerly, BS ’06, as a member of our development staff. As a student in the agricultural economics department, Demerly was a member of the Purdue Foundation Student Board. Through this experience, he helped alumni and friends learn more about the university at special events throughout the country.

Demerly grew up on a 1,500-acre corn and soybean farm in Wolcott, Ind. He is an outdoorsman who especially enjoys spending time with family and friends. Demerly, whose title is director of development, says he is looking forward to meeting with fellow alumni and friends throughout the country. He can be reached at (765) 494-8672 or jdemerly@purdue.edu.

Contact Schmidt at caschmidt@purdue.edu