Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently launched a $125,000 endowment with the OSU Foundation for Oklahoma State University students interning in Washington, D.C.
The endowment will assist selected students in OSU’s Ferguson College of Agriculture with housing and other expenses incurred as part of their Washington, D.C.-based internship.
“Our goal is to start a tradition and custom of having agricultural policy students in D.C.,” said Rodd Moesel, OKFB president. “This endowment is the first step in helping more students spend time in D.C. with congressional leaders and groups that support agriculture and our rural way of life.”
The endowment is geared toward students seeking internships with U.S. Senate or House of Representatives staff, agricultural committees or policy groups in Washington, D.C.
“Serving our elected officials in Washington, D.C., and getting a first-hand look at how policymaking works is a high point for the students selected for these internships,” said Thomas G. Coon, vice president and dean of the Ferguson College of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University. “Our students study hard in their core classes and are extremely competitive at landing internships.”
Coon expressed his gratitude for the impact a gift like this from Oklahoma Farm Bureau has on Ferguson College of Agriculture students.
“We appreciate the work of Oklahoma Farm Bureau and our other partners in developing opportunities to help our graduates be more prepared and more competitive in the workplace,” he said.
The selection process will be administered by the Ferguson College of Agriculture with the first interns slated to be selected in the spring of 2023.
Moesel said the ultimate goal for the endowment is to fund an entire house dedicated to OSU interns in Washington.
“States like Texas and Georgia have similar programs where their D.C. interns are housed in facilities funded by endowments like this,” Moesel said. “Our hope is with increased fundraising, we can one day fund an OSU intern house in Washington, D.C.”
Interested students should contact the Ferguson College of Agriculture’s Academic Programs Office for information.
