31,000 kilometers

As Erin and I sit here in the office writing our final blog entry it is hard to believe that our four month term as interns has come to a close. It has been a busy summer but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We believe that throughout the summer we have really helped to make an impact in the areas of Angus promotion and beef education. Together we have attended 28 shows and 18 schools, traveling  more than 31,000 kilometers and reaching over 115,000 people. To say this summer has been eventful would be an understatement but we have very much enjoyed promoting the Angus breed and have learned so much from the intern position.

“For me it was so great to see kids get excited about our junior programs. A lot of kids that I talked to were unaware of many of the great things that we offer through the CJAA. Things like our exchange trips, summer job program and Showdown were a huge hit with the youth that I talked too. As someone who has personally benefited from these junior programs it is great to see the next generation of juniors excited and hopefully beginning to get involved.” Stacey

When I asked Erin about what she found to be most enjoyable from the summer she replied, “I loved everything about the summer intern program. There was such a wide variety of experiences that I gained from this it is hard to narrow it down to one thing. For me though it would have to be the school visits which I enjoyed the most! Getting to see kids who are not already involved in the Angus industry and 4-H becoming excited about it was awesome.I have been a part of so many junior organizations and know firsthand the benefits that you can gain from it. Seeing kids wanting to take part in it is just great. Overall, it was an amazing summer and everything that I did and every event I attended I learned something new. I am so happy that I got this experience from the Canadian Angus Association and encourage all juniors to apply for it!”

The last few days we have been in the office working on our final project as Angus interns. We have used footage and pictures from this summer and past Canadian junior Angus functions to create a video promoting our junior association. Be sure to check it out and feel free to use it for promotional purposes and to share it with your friends and fellow Angus enthusiasts. 

 

This summer has been amazing.  It has been great to work with the Canadian Angus Association staff, they really are second to none and fantastic people to work with. We have had so many great opportunities to travel and promote the value of Angus to fellow juniors. We hope to see an increase in juniors showing Angus and also being involved with the junior Angus programs.

Watch for the CAA summer internship application to be coming out late this fall for the summer of 2013. Contact CAA direct of Communications Cassie Dorran for more information.  

Posted by Stacey Domolewski Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

Stampede, Summer Synergy and Showdown: 15 Days in the Life of an Intern

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over! It has been a busy one, but I think Erin would agree, a fantastic one for us interns. I couldn’t possibly think of a better way to spend my summer than promoting our Angus breed. Since Erin’s last blog post the two of us have been extremely busy. We spent almost all 10 days of Calgary stampede at the grounds in the Cattle Trail talking to both producers and providing beef education to people who were unfamiliar with the beef industry. It was a very rewarding experience for me to be able to share my love of both the beef industry and the Angus industry. I was surprised to talk to a lot of international visitors who were very interested in Angus cattle in Canada and even importing Canadian genetics.

I took two days off of Stampede which I got to spend at the Alberta 4-H provincial heifer show and at Summer Synergy. I helped to marshal the Angus class at Synergy and got a chance to talk to lot of young Angus enthusiasts. It is always great to see so many young cattle people excited about their industry.  Angus cattle were well represented with the most cattle there of any breed. Congratulations to all the participants who qualified to exhibit cattle at Calgary Stampede and to those who received Calgary Stampede scholarships.

After Stampede, I spent two days in the office helping to send out spring calving season packages and then Rob and I flew out to Lindsay, Ontario, for Showdown. The Canadian Junior Angus Association board did a fantastic job on this show. It was the biggest ever with the most cattle and most juniors. Despite the large numbers, things ran very smooth. It was nice to see so many new faces and hopefully these juniors will continue to come out to our junior events. 

As you can see, my July has been very busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was great to see so many of my fellow Angus breeders and to talk to others who were interested in the Angus breed. Great seeing everyone in Bashaw at the Alberta Junior Angus Show!

Posted by Stacey  Domolewski, feedback at cdnangus@cdnangus.ca