Meet our interns for our fall 2020 program in Washington, D.C.!
Zenaida Alaniz
Office of Congressman Filemon Vela
Zenaida Alaniz is a recent Texas A&M graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. She was born and raised in Mission, Texas where she was able to learn about the strong agricultural background that the Rio Grande Valley has to offer. The agriculture industry is part of her history and it is an industry she will always respect. Zenaida took all the prerequisites during her undergrad required for dental school because it is her goal to one day become a dentist. She is very excited to participate in this program and learn more about policy making and how it could directly affect her job one day in the healthcare system. Five years ago, Zenaida had a brief interaction with Congressman Filemon Vela during her tour of the United States Capitol and now she will be interning in his office this fall 2020 semester. She is very thankful for this opportunity to learn more about public policy during a major turning point in this country.
Grace Crow
Office of Congressman Kevin Brady
Grace Crow is a senior agricultural communication and journalism student at Texas A&M University from Franklin, Texas. Growing up in a small town in, Grace has always been passionate about agriculture and of the importance that this industry plays in everyone’s lives. Starting from when she showed cattle in 4H and FFA to her agriculture driven education at Texas A&M, she has continued to advocate for and incorporate agriculture in her life. Grace is involved in Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, where she has served in several leadership positions. She also works at a local business, Threads Boutique, in College Station. After receiving her degree, she hopes to continue her education to law school and become a lawyer. As she serves as an intern for Congressman Kevin Brady, she is most excited to learn how policies are put into place and how they affect the agricultural industry directly.
Macey Hammerstrom
House Committee on Agriculture (minority office)
Macey Hammerstrom is a first-generation Aggie from the small town of Kingsburg, California. She is currently a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, with a concentration in policy and economic analysis, and a minor in business. Macey’s passion for agriculture and policy stems from her hometown roots; she grew up on a ranch where her family grew specialty crops such as canning peaches, sugar plums and wine grapes, and both of her parents were avid advocates for the industry. To deepen her knowledge of her field of study, she partook in a study abroad to Ghana in May 2018, and another excursion to Scotland in May 2019. During her time abroad, she gained a greater perspective on international agriculture and governmental policies related to trade, agriculture, and economics. On campus, Macey is an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta; Aggie REPS; Texas A&M CONNECT as a past public relations executive; and in Fish Camp, where she has been both a counselor and, now, currently serves as a loud and proud co-chair for Session F Aqua Camp Reinecke. She also works as a writing lab assistant for the Agricultural Economics Undergraduate Department, and as a law firm runner for The Ellison Firm in College Station, TX. Macey is interning with the House Agriculture Committee, where she hopes to put to use her passion for agricultural advocacy and interest in government, while also expanding her knowledge about public policy, gaining professional work experience and exposure to ag policy at the federal level. Macey is very excited for the opportunity and believes it will be an amazing way to gain experience in the career field she is pursuing.
James Hodges
Office of Congressman Jodey Arrington
James Hodges is from College Station, Texas and recently graduated in May 2020 with a degree in agribusiness. James’ passion for policy began at an early age when he worked as a door to door campaigner with his dad for the local congressional election. Last summer James had the opportunity to further pursue his passion for policy by participating in a short-term study abroad trip to Israel, where he discussed US policy with Ambassador David Freidman and learned about the complicated regional issues and the US’s role in resolving them. While at A&M, James worked as the A&M Campaign Director and a Marketing Team Committee Member for the dual-campus student organization Reinstate the Rivalry. Through this experience, he had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of people from both A&M and Texas leading up to and following an A&M student vote on renewing A&M’s football rivalry with t.u. James is also proud member of Company P-2 in the Corps of Cadets, where he served as the Public Relation/Alumni Officer and Athletics Officer for his unit. Prior to transferring to A&M, James was a student-athlete playing two years of college football for Texas Lutheran University. In the fall of 2020 James will be interning in the office of Congressman Jodey Arrington who represents Texas’ 19th Congressional District. Through this internship, James is seeking to learn more about the policy process in D.C. and see if a career in politics is right for him.
Mackenzie Jeter
National Farmers Union
Mackenzie Jeter is a second-generation Fighting Texas Aggie and is a member of the Class of 2022. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Environmental Soil Science with a minor in History. As an undergraduate at Texas A&M University, Mackenzie is involved in the University Honors Program, the Soil and Crop Science Honors Program, and was recently named the Departmental Outstanding Plant and Environmental Soil Science Student. She is also employed as an undergraduate research assistant by her department and does lab work for both Dr. Youjun Deng and Dr. Paul Schwab. Above everything, Mackenzie is very passionate about serving in her community. She currently mentors seven third and fourth grade boys through a program for at-risk children in Bryan, Texas. She takes her role very seriously and loves every second of it. Through this program, Mackenzie realized her passion for partnering with low-income communities, and together, creating an avenue to break the cycle of poverty. She hopes that she can make a career of fighting for people who do not have the resources to fight for themselves. To achieve this, Mackenzie plans to attend law school after graduation with the intention of becoming a public defender. This fall semester, Mackenzie is interning with the National Farmers Union to fight for equal food distribution in the United States.
Anna Lad
House Committee on Agriculture (majority office)
Anna Lad, from Alpharetta, Georgia, is a May 2020 graduate of the Wildlife and Fisheries department at Texas A&M University, which she attended on a full-ride National Merit Scholarship. There, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, as well as a minor in Geography from the Geosciences department. Her love of wildlife, the outdoors, and agriculture stems from her childhood summers spent hiking and exploring in the Appalachian Mountains. During her four years at A&M, she was involved in Howdy Farm, the Pre-Vet Society and the Wildlife Society. She was vice president of the Alpha Zeta Agriculture Honors Fraternity, as well as a member of the intramural climbing team during her junior year. She also spent a semester studying abroad in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. During her senior year, she was an ostrich caretaker for the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center, a student ambassador for the COALS Council, and Executive Director of Hosting and Research for MSC Hospitality, a service organization in the Memorial Student Center on Texas A&M’s campus, where she organized student snack-hours with campus resources and also investigated service opportunities. Anna is passionate about making science accessible to all and earned an Associate Wildlife Biologist Certificate during her undergrad to better understand topics at the forefront of science and policy. After her internship, she hopes to pursue a master’s in the Science and Technology Journalism Program at A&M and continue singing for the St. Mary’s Women’s Chorus.
Michelle Sutton
National Association of Wheat Growers
Michelle Sutton is a senior poultry science major with a minor in agricultural economics. She was born and raised in El Campo, Texas where her passion for agriculture started at a very young age. She grew up raising and showing poultry projects, and was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA. As a student, Michelle has dedicated herself to multiple on campus organizations including Sigma Alpha, Poultry Science Club, and Pre-Law Society. She also serves as a Department of Poultry Science Ambassador, where she interacts with prospective students, alumni, and industry professionals. Michelle currently works for Texas A&M in the Poultry Extension Office. As a livestock intern, her job is to organize and facilitate each of the major poultry livestock shows across the state of Texas. She also volunteers on the Junior Rodeo Committee at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. She is thankful for all the opportunities she has been given at Texas A&M, as they have allowed her professionalism and her passion for the ag industry to grow. In the fall of 2020, Michelle will be interning with the National Association of Wheat Growers. She is excited to expand her knowledge of public policy and learn about an entirely unfamiliar area of agricultural production. She looks forward to this opportunity as she feels it will provide her with some incredible experiences that will further prepare her for a career in ag policy. Michelle will be graduating in December of 2021 and plans to attend law school. She hopes to pursue a career working on legal issues in the agricultural industry.
