The Borlaug Blog

I have always wanted to work somewhere where I could make a difference. Growing up, my dream job would change constantly. My aspirations ranged from working as a veterinarian to teaching. Both are amazing jobs that make a positive impact in people’s lives, but neither felt quite right for me. It wasn’t until high school that I knew I wanted to use my writing talents in whatever career path I chose.

My sophomore year of college, I found the perfect opportunity to work for a nonprofit organization that was truly making a difference. So in the summer of 2016, I accepted a communications and public relations internship at the World Food Prize Foundation.

Even though I grew up in Iowa, I knew very little about Dr. Borlaug before joining the World Food Prize Foundation’s staff. I was surprised to learn that a man who spent his childhood just hours from my hometown had made an impression on millions of lives across the globe. While I might not have the same skills as Borlaug, his work inspired me to use my own talents to better the world. But the internship taught me more than just public relations skills; I learned how to work in a professional setting.

It was hard work at times. I was just getting started in public relations and was new to many of the tasks I was assigned. But the staff members and fellow interns at the Hall of Laureates were extremely helpful, and I left the internship with a whole new list of new professional skills. My daily tasks had me writing press releases and video scripts, creating media lists and editing other staff members’ work.

Working at the World Food Prize was an extremely fulfilling position. I loved entering the Hall of Laureates every morning and walking up to my office while surrounded by paintings and sculptures in a historic, beautifully decorated building.

But my favorite spot in the building was right outside the garden entrance. Walking past Norman Borlaug’s sculpture in the garden was a daily reminder that one person can make a huge impact in the world, even someone from small-town Iowa. After the internship, my goal was to become that kind of person.

Since leaving the World Food Prize Foundation, I’ve started a career in journalism. I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December and have since worked as a business reporter at both Bloomberg News and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

It’s not the same career that I had worked on as a George Washington Carver intern, but many of the skills are applicable. I am constantly writing, asking questions over the phone and editing work, all of which are skills that I strengthened as an intern at the World Food Prize.

As a communications intern at the World Food Prize, my job was to tell stories and spread information about Norman Borlaug, the Laureates and the nonprofit organization itself. Now, as a reporter, I am still making a difference by telling stories and spreading important information to the public.