Brittany Frazier is a graduate of Texas A&M University (class of ’18) and holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences and a minor in entomology. She is originally from Katy, Texas where she was an active member of the FFA, which she feels opened many doors for her and helped her grow as a person. FFA is where Brittany’s love for agriculture and the environment started, ultimately leading her to Texas A&M University. Through the course work she took during her studies at A&M, Brittany was able to learn a lot about the environment, agriculture, and policy. While at A&M, she was involved in a women’s leadership organization, Aggie Gems, which helped shape her in to the person she is today. Brittany is thrilled to participate in the ANRP Internship Program and hopes to expand her knowledge on how policy is made in the Texas government. After her internship semester, Brittany hopes to attend law school to study environmental law. She is looking forward to working for Representative Murphy and is excited to learn through this experience.
Alexis Little
Office of State Representative John Kuempel
Alexis Marie Little is a December 2018 graduate with a Bachelor of Science in both Bioenvironmental Science and in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. She is from Houston, Texas. Alexis has aspirations of becoming an environmental associate. She hopes to be accepted into the Ecosystem Science and Management graduate program at Texas A&M University. While she pursued a degree, she was employed part-time, and was part of an on-campus organization, Aggie Keys. When she started her job, she began as a food service worker but was promoted and is now an administrative assistant. She was a member of Aggie Keys which is a women’s organization dedicated to promoting education in the Bryan/College station area. In the summer of 2017, Alexis studied abroad in China. She attended the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University for a month enrolled in courses about plant pathology and international perspectives of environmental issues. To be able to afford this trip, Alexis was awarded the Gilman Scholarship. Alexis is also a BESC Undergraduate Research Scholar. Over the summer of 2018, she was a research assistant in Dr. Kolomiets Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory. She assisted Dr. Borrego in studies relating to the role of lipoxygenase pathways in plants. This upcoming spring, she will be an intern for Texas Representative John Kuempal. She is eager to learn about the process of policy making and hopes to gain professional skills from this experience.
Andrea Nwachukwu
Office of State Senator Pat Fallon
Andrea Nwachukwu is a senior from Wylie, TX majoring in bioenvironmental sciences. At Texas A&M University she is involved in the National Association of Environmental Professionals and Aggie Replant where she helped plant thousands of trees in order to restore Lost Pines Forest. In addition to this she also was an aide for a lab that experimented with genetic modification of corn. Through her job experiences as an au pair in Italy, field teacher in Maine, and daycare attendant in College Station she realized her passion for education, travel and working with children. She plans on going to graduate school to study elementary education and gain a teaching certificate and become certified to teach English as a foreign language to others. Andrea wants to be an international educator and inspire children all over the world while immersing herself in different cultures along the way. Andrea is excited about this opportunity with Senator Fallon’s office and hopes to learn about the processes that create the legislation that govern our lives.
Tyler Roberts
Office of State Senator Pete Flores
Tyler Roberts, of Del Rio, Texas, is a senior animal science and agricultural communications and journalism dual degree at Texas A&M University. Raised on her family’s commercial sheep and cattle operation, Tyler developed a love for agriculture at a young age. Growing up, she was heavily involved in both 4-H and FFA showing lambs and competing in judging and leadership activities across the state. Tyler continued her involvement with agriculture while attending Texas A&M by participating in a variety of student organizations and activities. In her four years at the University, she has been an active member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Saddle & Sirloin, Aron and Mary Lois Savell Leadership Mentor Group, Study Abroad as well as the 2016 Texas A&M Meat Judging Team; and in 2015, she testified to the Natural Resources Committee at the capitol in Austin. Tyler has also acquired numerous internships through Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Superior Farms in Sacramento, California, H-E-B Corporate Quality Assurance and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office of Emergency Management. Similarly, Tyler interned with Congressman Michael K. Conaway in Washington D.C. in 2017. Through her involvement in the sheep and meat industries, Tyler realizes the wealth of opportunities agriculture has afforded her and strives to communicate the importance of its sustainability.
Halee Sanderson
Office of State Senator Bryan Hughes
Halee Sanderson is a sophomore, double-major in agriculture communications and journalism and agriculture leadership and development at Texas A&M University. She grew up in Blackwell, Texas. Small town life helped develop her passion for Texas agriculture and politics. Halee was active in FFA, exhibiting sheep and agriculture based competitions in high school. This experience combined with being a fifth generation cattle rancher has cultivated Halee’s passion for agriculture. Participating in speech and debate contests forged her skills for communication and advocacy. In the future she would like to combine her skills to advocate for agriculture on a state level. Currently, Halee is an active member of the professional agriculture sorority Sigma Alpha, as well as the organization Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. She is planning to attend Law School, after obtaining her bachelor’s degree, to begin a career as an attorney before venturing into policy. She will be interning in the Texas State Capitol in the spring of 2019 for Senator Bryan Hughes.
Lauren Savage
Office of State Representative Ernest Bailes
Lauren Savage is a senior at Texas A&M University seeking a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics with a concentration in Policy and Economic Analysis. She is from Pasadena, Texas and will graduate in December of 2019. In high school, she was very active in the FFA, raising multiple projects, competing in leadership and career development events, as well as being a chapter and district officer. It was during this time that her passion for agriculture developed. She received her Texas Lone Star degree at the FFA State Convention in 2014. She’s been an active member with multiple leadership positions in her sorority, Delta Gamma. She has also had the opportunity to serve as a Fish Camp counselor and share her love of Texas A&M with incoming freshmen by introducing new Aggie Aggies to all the traditions and opportunities the university has to offer. She also had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom this past summer with faculty and staff of the Agricultural Economics department. It was there that her interest for international agricultural policy grew. Lauren is thrilled to learn more about public policy and its effects on the agricultural industry and her home state of Texas. She hopes her time in Austin, Texas will allow her to gain experience, develop professional relationships, and prepare her for future aspirations. She will be working in the Office of State Representative Ernest Bailes for the duration of the 2019 Texas Legislative Session.
Julia Szabuniewicz
Office of State Representative James Frank
Julia Szabuniewicz, of Weatherford, Texas, is a graduate of Texas A&M University with degree in environmental studies and minor in dance. Her previous ANRP internship in Washington, D.C. last fall has reinforced her passion for public policy and environmental law. She has held a student job with her church at St. Mary’s for the past 4 years where she also holds a leadership position in ACT, a social justice organization within St. Mary’s Catholic Center. Her involvement with the Sustainable Agriculture Student Organization and Howdy Farm along with Twin Cities Mission Homeless Shelter in Bryan has allowed her to confront food insecurity head on and develop her passion to revitalize the relationship between society and agriculture. She is excited and honored to represent Texas A&M University in Austin, Texas this spring of 2019. She is looking forward to learning more about Texas state policy, with special emphasis on how it effects our lives and the lives of those who provide our food. Julia is eager to be interning with State Representative James Frank and thrive in this opportunity to foster relationships with other passionate individuals ready to make a change.
Wesley Tanton
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Wesley Tanton graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in December 2018. There, he majored in ecological restoration and minored in rangeland ecology and management. His early childhood and knowledgeable teachers/professors inspired him to pursue a career in the Natural Resource sector, specifically focusing on restoring degraded ecosystems and sustainable natural resource use. Wesley wants to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the wonderful ecosystems and resources that makes Texas unique. He spent the Summer of 2018 helping Dr. William E. Rogers (Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University) conduct research on fire intensity and Mesquite tree mortality at the Sonora Agrilife Research Station. Wesley was accepted into the ANRP internship program for spring of 2019 and will be an intern for the Texas Comptroller of Public Account’s Legislative Affairs division in Austin, Texas. Wesley found a passion for scientific research at Texas A&M University, and wants to return to obtain his Master’s degree. He hopes to end up working for a state agency to help restore and preserve native Texas ecosystems. His main goal is to make sure that sound science ends up in the hands of those who can make a positive difference in our environment.
Sara Uddin
Office of State Representative Tom Oliverson
Sara is a senior at Texas A&M University majoring in nutritional sciences. She is from Houston, Texas. During her time at Texas A&M, Sara has been involved in different organizations such as Women Helping Out Other People, MSC Bethancourt, and has volunteered at St. Luke’s Hospital at the Vintage. Sara is also an Aggie Research Scholar and has participated in research pertaining to the effect of dopamine on lymphatic vessels. In her free time, you can catch her checking out new art exhibitions, discovering new music, or playing the piano. Sara looks forward to interning this legislative session in the Office of Rep. Tom Oliverson.
Ashley Wilde
Texas Farm Bureau
Ashley Wilde is a senior agricultural economics major with a focus on policy and economic analysis and a certificate in International Trade at Texas A&M. She is from Wall, TX and grew up on a cotton farm in West Central Texas. Additionally, she has always had a passion for agriculture and hopes to find a way to positively affect the industry. Since her freshman year, she has been involved in student organizations. These include Freshman Leadership Experience, the 2017 Reserve National Wool Judging Champions, Vice President of Fundraising for the Aggieland Lions Club, along with being a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council, MSC Student Conference on National Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture Economics Aggie Representatives. She has also had the amazing opportunity to travel on two study abroads to Ghana and France. During both trips, she was able to study the agriculture industry, government system, and cultures of each country. She is excited to be interning this spring with Texas Farm Bureau in Austin. Upon graduation, Ashley plans on attending law school and focusing on agriculture law.
