Stephannie Baldwin, General FACS Major, completed an internship during Summer 2018. Her internship site was at Dogwood Hills Guest Farm in Harriet, AR. Stephannie’s objectives were to better understand how to serve a community that has limited nutrition education. She wanted to expand her knowledge on nutrition through learning how to grow, plant, and sustain organic produce. She aspires to teach communities how to cook healthy meals and bring her FACS background to areas where there isn’t a lot of opportunity.
During her internship, Stephannie had the opportunity to network within the community by group education, meeting with farmers, and teaching children from rural areas on nutrition education and cooking. She also experienced hands on farming and caring for the animals that live at Dogwood Hills. It was a very intense educational experience that she never could have received in the classroom, however, partnered with the skills she learned in the classroom it brought the internship full circle during her last semester.
“I am excited to see what the future holds for me in my pursuit of a meaningful career. It is important to me that my career is one that gives back to the community. I found through my internship that I have a desire to work with young adults. It was rewarding to see them excited about good nutrition and overall health. This small community taught me the importance of having a community extension service and how that might be the path I pursue”
