Kara Novakovich, a student at Miles Community College, did a summer internship with The Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Rangeland Management Trainee. This program provides a great introduction to the NRCS and is now the primary means by which NRCS hires employees. Kara had the opportunity to work closely with private landowners and agricultural producers that were interested in putting conservation on their ground. She also met with those working in Conservation Districts, the Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA), specialists from the area and state offices, non-profit employees and other interns. “I truly enjoyed interacting with the employees that I worked with in the field office, and I benefited immensely from their experiences and knowledge, commented Novakovich about the experience.”
Kara performed a variety of tasks in the field, including the completion of range inventories, which involved identifying and clipping plants as an estimate of available forage. She completed construction checks for different financial assistance programs such as EQIP & CSP, which involved learning how to use a GPS in order to record accurate data. She learned how to identify resource concerns and provide assistance to individuals wanting to address these concerns on their land. “My favorite part was doing rangeland assessments, which is evaluating a site to determine the status of the natural rangeland resources & vegetation that were present,” commented Kara.
“Working here has shown me what the USDA does for our country, specifically in caring for the land, wildlife & livestock, and natural resources,” said Novakovich. After she finishes at MCC, Kara continue to MSU in Bozeman to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource and Rangeland Management. Kara plans to stay in the Pathways program and work each summer at a different field office until graduating and transitioning to becoming a permanent employee. “All these valuable experiences as a Pathways intern have given me the knowledge and skills to move forward confidently in my education and career. I hope to inspire others as part of this great agency!”
The U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program includes both the Internship Experience Program (IEP) and the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP). Both programs are targeted toward U.S. citizens enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions from high school to graduate school and professional academic levels. Both programs provide students with opportunities to explore Federal careers while being paid for the work performed.
