The newest group of student trainees were introduced and met the Tennessee Leadership Team at the 2024 Summer Internship Orientation in Murfreesboro this month.

Among the 25 interns at the event was USDA 1890 National Scholar Ta’Leeah West, who is entering her third summer as a Tennessee student trainee.

Ta’Leeah, who is from Spencer, Oklahoma, is a senior at Langston University and is scheduled to graduate in May 2025 with a degree in natural resource management. She will train as a soil conservationist in the Memphis Field Office under the tutoring of District Conservationist Fred Walker. Her previous summer assignments were in the Jackson and Murfreesboro Field Offices.

“I’m excited to complete my third year as an intern,” Ta’Leeah said. “I want to accomplish all my AgLearn courses and become a level 1 planner by the end of this summer. On AgLearn, 78 percent of level 3 conservation planning has been completed. Once I come back and complete in-person trainings, I will be a level 3 certified conservation planner. Also, I want to continue advancing my invaluable skills like decision making, meeting deadlines, and always showing a strong work ethic.”

Joining Ta’Leeah are five second-year students and 19 first-year students. Altogether, there are five USDA 1890 National Scholar interns, one Natural Resource Career Development Program Third-Party intern, and 19 interns from the Pathways Program. Seventeen are soil conservationist trainees, four engineer trainees, three natural resource management trainees, and one public affairs trainee.

“This is the largest group of interns we’ve ever had,” said State Internship Coordinator Alan Fisher, a Management and Program Analyst in the state office.