Meet our interns for our spring 2022 program in Washington, D.C.!
Shawnee Chavez
The Fertilizer Institute
Shawnee Chavez is an undergraduate student at Texas A&M and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in bioenvironmental sciences in May 2023. Her hometown is College Station, and she has been an active board member of Keep Brazos Beautiful (KBB), a local environmental organization partnered with the Cities of College Station and Bryan since 2020 and a member since 2018. Her accomplishments include working with city and county officials to coordinate and implement programs, rethinking KBB’s SOPs and retooling them for Covid protocols, and leading a team in redesigning failed city projects. As a result of her achievements, she received the Brazos Valley Community Leadership Award in August 2021. Subsequently, she completed an internship with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the summer of 2021 and was able to gain hands-on experience with environmental work at the state level, insight into Texas’s current environmental policies, and had the privilege to complete office and fieldwork with various state government employees. She is currently a student worker at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and works on chemical transportation and emergency planning projects. Likewise, she is a member of NAEP (National Association of Environmental Professionals) and Aggie Replant, on-campus. Through ANRP, she will be interning for The Fertilizer Institute in Washington, D.C, and working on policy issues ranging from the department of transportation issues to Water of the United States revisions. Her long-term career goals revolve around working for a socially responsible entity that will allow her to make a positive difference in our country’s health and welfare. She is passionate about creating and encouraging ethical practices and environmental policies compatible with sustainable economic development due to her love for the outdoors and environmental protection.
Isabella Golemi
Office of Senator John Cornyn
Isabella Golemi is a junior Agricultural Leadership and Development major from Sugar Land, TX. She will be interning in the office of Senator John Cornyn in the spring of 2022. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Isabella hopes to attend law school and focus on agricultural law. As an undergraduate, Isabella has been a member of several organizations both on and off campus. She has served as the social chair for Sigma Alpha, a professional agricultural sorority, and has served as the Junior Vice Chair of Operations for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Junior Rodeo Committee. Her experiences in these leadership roles have inspired her to continue working to serve her community both professionally and personally. After completing her J.D. program, Isabella hopes to use her knowledge of the law and the agriculture sector to defend Texas’ farms and ranches legally and continue to advocate for this industry. Isabella looks forward to working under Senator Cornyn and gaining important policy knowledge.
Tatum Hausman
House Committee on Agriculture – minority office
Tatum Hausman is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University from The Woodlands, Texas. She obtained a degree in agricultural economics concentrating in food systems and management with a minor in agrifood sales and a certificate in international trade. Tatum’s passion for agriculture came from her time in 4-H and FFA. During her time at Texas A&M University, she was involved in Kappa Alpha Theta, where she held numerous leadership positions. She was also able to study abroad in Ireland in college. During the 87th Texas Legislative Session, she worked for Representative Ben Leman as a legislative aide. She will be interning for the House Committee on Agriculture under ranking member Rep. Glenn Thompson. She is excited to gain a deeper understanding of national politics and how policy affects the agricultural industry.
Nitya Jella
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Nitya Jella is a sophomore at Texas A&M University and is a Posse scholar, looking to major in Agribusiness. The journey to becoming a Posse scholar, which is a prestigious four year national scholarship awarded for exemplary leadership, has shaped Nitya the person she is today. Nitya is from Atlanta, Georgia and has interned in both small and large entities with all age groups before becoming an Aggie. Her work with the visually impaired community and her internships in city and county governments have given her skills to work in several different fields and helped her develop organizational and leadership abilities. Nitya’s work as a Youth Ambassador at 21st Century Leaders required her to advocate for and promote the organization among Atlanta based corporations and youth, which fostered her creative thinking skills. In Washington, DC, Nitya’s goal is to learn and gain experience in business communication both in the corporate world and political world. She intends to use her skills and experiences to give back to the community and the organizations that helped shape her. She is currently most interested in policies related to the food distribution and equity of it, including the supply chain of consumables, but is also excited to pursue other interests and broaden her horizons. Nitya will be interning at The Global Cold Chain Alliance and is looking forward to experiencing the world of global refrigerated supply chain policy and development.
Adaline Utley
National Association of Wheat Growers
Adaline Utley is a sophomore at Texas A&M University where she is pursuing a double major in Animal Science and Agricultural Communications and Journalism. Adaline is from Levelland, Texas where she grew up involved in various aspects of agriculture. This involvement played a key role in her aspirations for becoming a leader in Agriculture. During high school, Adaline served as a State Livestock Ambassador, traveling all over Texas educating youth and adults about agriculture. She developed a statewide campaign entitled “Embracing the past, Engaging the present, and Defining the Future” as part of her personal agricultural advocacy story. Adaline also was selected to attend Texas 4H Congress where she wrote, submitted and presented a bill to the House of Representatives. As an Advocacy Academy Ambassador, she spent a week in the Texas State Capitol learning from representatives in different house committees. Since being introduced and taking part in the agriculture industry at such a young age, Adaline has been inspired to remain active in the field of Agriculture. She particularly has an interest in agricultural literacy and water sustainability. This spring she will be interning in the National Wheat Growers Association office.
Jace Wilkey
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Jace Wilkey is a Sophomore at Texas A&M University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications and Journalism. He is a first-generation Aggie from Christoval, Texas, where he participated in his local FFA chapter and exhibited livestock. After beginning his time at Texas A&M, Jace gained an interest in a career in crisis management. Post undergrad, he plans to earn a Master of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications. Jace is currently a student mentor for the Aggie Gateway to Success Program where he conducts lectures and student activities for provisional academic freshmen. Jace will be interning with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and hopes to gain experience with creative applications and policymaking and learn how they impact the agricultural system.
Mikayla Wrenn
Office of Congressman Louie Gohmert
Mikayla Wrenn is a sophomore Agricultural Science major at Texas A&M University. She is from Wallis, Texas, where her passion for agriculture began in her Principles of AFNR class her freshman year of high school. She was elected as a chapter officer every year following and was elected a district officer her senior year. As she became more involved in FFA, her passion for agriculture continued to grow. Encouraged by her Ag teacher, she applied to the Agricultural Science program at Texas A&M University. She has always wanted to be an educator and teaching future generations about the industry she adores, seemed like a perfect fit. During her time at A&M, she has joined Collegiate FFA and is serving as the chapter secretary. After graduation, she plans to teach agricultural courses at a Texas high school. Mikayla will be interning in the Office of Congressman Louie Gohmert in the spring of 2022 and looks forward to learning more about the policy process in the United States.
