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Week 11

My final week at Select Sires was Sire Summary Week, so the office was very busy!  On Monday, I edited the ProfitMAX statement stuffer that I previously created.  Afterwards, I started proofing materials for members of the communications team.  The first item that I proofed was the lineup for the Genervations branded sires that will appear in the bull book.  Later, I picked two members of the communications team up at the airport and brought them to Select Sires.  When I returned, I helped Ashlan brainstorm a layout for her TPI, or total performance index, flyer.  That evening, I helped Sara buy supplies and gallons of milk.  In preparation for a video project later in the week, we purchased 30 gallons of milk and captured video footage during the process.  On Friday, she will be recording a video at Select Sires relating to the trending #10GallonChallenge.  The milk that we purchased that night was a small portion of the 100 gallons of milk that Select Sires will be donating to local food pantries.

On Tuesday, the sire analysts were busy making decisions about which sires would become a part of Select Sires’ proven lineup.  Until the decisions are made, the communications team does a lot of preparation, because once the results are released, they become very busy creating the bull books, directory, price lists, advertisements, social media posts and press releases.  As a result, I continued helping the communications department prepare for the results of the Sire Summary.  I also added some updated contact information to the back of the calendars.  After the information was updated, Jacquelyn and I submitted the calendars to Post Printing, which was a great feeling!  As the day went on, the communications team was able to prepare some communications materials with the information that was available from the Sire Summary, but some work had to wait until Wednesday, when all of the information would be readily available.

Throughout the rest of the week, I continued proofing materials that the communications team produced.  On Friday, I participated in the 10 Gallon Challenge video and wrapped up my internship.  I am so thankful for the internship experience that I gained at Select Sires this summer!

Week 10

During my 10th week at Select Sires, I finished up the 2019 dairy and beef calendars.  On Monday, I gave the dairy calendar to the Director of Communications, Shirley Kaltenbach.  While awaiting her edits, I helped Terri with some logistics for World Dairy Expo.  Afterwards, I started preparing some materials for my internship portfolio.  During this internship, I tried to print materials as I completed them, in hopes of having my portfolio mostly complete by the end of my internship.

On Tuesday, I gave the beef calendar to Shirley for final edits.  Afterwards, I began looking for quotes to add to the dairy calendar, as requested by Shirley.  After reviewing the quotes with Jacquelyn, I began placing them in the calendar using sans serif and script fonts.  Later, I reviewed the final product with Jacquelyn and gave the calendar back to Shirley for her edits.  Before leaving for the day, I compiled a folder of various advertisements for the communications department.

On Wednesday, I made the final edits to the beef and dairy calendars.  After making that set of edits, the calendar was almost ready to go to the printer!  Jacquelyn and I decided to look at it with a fresh set of eyes on Thursday.  Later on, I continued helping Terri with World Dairy Expo logistics.  Finally, I began brainstorming a design for a ProfitMAX statement stuffer in preparation for Sire Summary Week, also known as Proof Week.

On Thursday, after reviewing the calendar once more, there were a couple small layout tweaks to make.  Based on some changes at two member cooperatives, I had to await some new information to place on the back of the cover.  Although this delayed sending the calendar to the printer by the end of the week, thankfully the calendar had already went through all three rounds of proofing and was ready to go otherwise.  For the rest of the day, I worked on designing the ProfitMAX statement stuffer and sent it out for the first round of proofs by the end of the day.  ProfitMAX is a program that offers members the support of Select Sires’ reproductive and genetic specialists in order to maximize the profit of their herd.

On Friday, I completed various small tasks in preparation for Sire Summary Week, which starts August 6.

Next week will be a very busy week with Sire Summaries, but I am prepared to work hard in order end my internship on a positive note at Select Sires!

Week Nine

I am officially in the final weeks of my internship; it is going by so fast!  During my ninth week at Select Sires, my main focus was the dairy and beef calendars.  During this week, I received all of the edits and feedback from my coworkers who participated in round one and two of proofing.  On Monday, I edited the beef calendar based on round one of proofs.  Afterwards, I sent out an updated version of the calendar for round two of proofs.  Later, I drafted and brainstormed ideas for the Select Sires background brochure.

On Tuesday, I continued working on the brochure, maintaining the existing theme, but adding more up-to-date design elements and photographs.  After talking with Ashlan and Jacquelyn, I transformed the main bullet points into an infographic.  I was able to do this portion of the brochure with ease thanks to the skills I obtained in Dr. Specht’s Data Visualization class.  Later, I edited the dairy calendar based on recommendations from round two of proofs.

On Thursday, I spent the day making additional edits to both the dairy and beef calendar.  Based on recommendations by my supervisor, the script font on both calendars needed to be more tightly kerned so that all of the letters flowed together.  After making this change, I realized that little details can make a big difference!  This change was one of many things that I fine-tuned on the calendar.

On Friday, I did a thorough run-through of both the dairy and beef calendars.  I went through each of them and double-checked each number, caption, photo and design element to assure that they are accurate.  I left for the weekend confident in my work and ready for Jacquelyn to make her final edits of the calendars on Monday.

Week Eight

During the eighth week of my internship, I focused on the dairy and beef calendars.  On Monday, I continued adding photos to the beef calendar based on recommendations made by Morgan Cook, beef marketing and administrative coordinator.  In addition to this task, I also prepared the dairy calendar for the first round of proofs.  In preparation for printing, the calendar must go through two rounds of proofs and then be approved by the Director of Communications, Shirley Kaltenbach.  My goal is to have the dairy and beef calendars completely finalized by August 2.  Afterwards, I went through the calendar ordering process with Jacquelyn.  Each member cooperative fills out an order form with instructions on where they’d like their calendars delivered.

On Tuesday, I sent the dairy calendar to Ashlan Wickstrom, member liason, Sara Horst, communication specialist and Leslie Maurice, communications specialist, for the first round of proofing.  Afterwards, I continued working on the beef calendar.

On Wednesday, I finished the beef calendar draft, sent out round one of edits and began designing cover options.  I also took some communications materials to storage and updated the inventory list used for trade shows and events.

On Thursday, I continued working on beef calendar covers.  After reviewing the options with Jacquelyn, we decided to use similar design elements on both calendar covers.  Later, I discussed some cover photo options with Morgan and selected a photo and design for the cover.  Once I received feedback on the dairy calendar, I continued making edits.  In addition, I also corrected some errors on the journalist contact list that I updated in previous weeks.  Before the end of the day, I disassembled extra swag bags from the Jersey Convention in previous weeks as well.

On Friday, I continued editing the dairy calendar based on feedback that I received from round one of edits.  Afterwards, I sent out a deadline for round two of edits to Jackie Rausch, multimedia communications specialist, and my supervisor, Terri Smith, sales and marketing specialist.  I also continued working on the beef calendar and began to brainstorm ideas for the Select Sires background brochure refresh.

It was exciting to see my projects come together in week eight of my internship!

Week Seven

Week seven was full of learning experiences.  On Monday, I continued working on the journalist and email contact lists.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended new employee orientation with 38 other employees from eight member cooperatives.  On the first day, we learned all about the history of Select Sires, toured the facilities and listened to numerous long-time employees of Select Sires talk about Select Reproductive Tools, CowManager, the beef department and Select Mating Service.  On the second day, we toured the sexed semen laboratory down the road, learned about dairy cow handling, genetic advancement, sire development, the dairy sire program, Ecolab and Agrarian products, and Herd Management Solutions. We also had the opportunity to watch a bull parade.

On Thursday, I finished up the journalist and email contact lists and created the final round of intern spotlights.  I also received calendar edits from Jacquelyn and began making the corrections.  Lastly, I proofed a press release for a coworker.

On Friday, I worked on the dairy and beef calendars.  I also drove orientation participants to the airport after the conclusion of their sales training.

This week, I had the opportunity to attend orientation with people from around the globe!

Week seven led to many learning (and some new) experiences!

Week Six

Week six at Select Sires was a short, yet busy week.  On Monday, I received a large quantity of form responses that contained over 40 photo submissions!  After reaching out to my coworkers seeking photos, I found that there were form responses that I had not yet received.  This left me feeling slightly overwhelmed, but mostly relieved.  After recording each form response in my spreadsheet, I continued placing photos into the calendar, which began to fill up quickly.  Then, I went through and double-checked the description of each photo to ensure that all of the information was accurate.  To finish up the day, I worked on the weekly Intern Spotlights in order to have them proofed and scheduled for Facebook before the office closed for the Fourth of July.

On Tuesday, I proofed the employee newsletter and presented my calendar progress to Jacquelyn.  We also discussed my role for the beef calendar- to place the selected photos into the template and stay in close contact with the beef department.

On Thursday, I worked on updating a spreadsheet that keeps track of the Grand and Reserve Champions of major dairy shows around the country.  The file had not been updated since 2009, so it allowed me to do quite a bit of research into the shows and the success of Select Sires.

On Friday, I began updating the journalist contact list and email list that Sara Horst, communications specialist, uses to distribute press releases.  This file was also dated and took quite a bit of research in order to bring it up-to-date.

Week Five

Week five at Select Sires started out with a busy Monday.  On Monday, I helped set up for the World Jersey Conference.  That afternoon, dairy producers from around the globe visited Select Sires.  During their time at Select, they went on group tours, attended a bull parade, ate dinner and listened to speakers.  My role at the conference was to serve as a group leader.  In this role, I assured that my group got to each portion of their tour in a timely manner.  This was a beneficial learning experience for me as an intern.  During the conference, I attended my first bull parade, which I enjoyed!

On Tuesday, I made progress on the calendar by creating a monthly template and assigning photos to each month.  In the afternoon, I helped with semen inventory.  For one week per year, Select Sires does a complete inventory of all stored semen.  While helping with inventory, I got to learn more about the storage tanks, Fusion computer software and the longevity of properly stored semen.

On Wednesday, I continued working on the calendar by editing photos for each month.  I also entered emails that we obtained at the World Jersey Conference into a spreadsheet.  Each recipient will receive regular “Jersey Revolution” emails.

On Thursday, I edited a press release for a coworker.  One of the many things that I appreciate about the communications department is their proofing process.  Every time that someone creates a writing piece, advertisement, social media post, or any other type of communication material, each person within the department takes the time to proof it in a timely manner.  This process assures high-quality, accurate materials for customers.  Afterwards, I continued editing calendar photos, assigning them to months and placing inset photos.

On Friday, I realized that I did not have enough high-resolution, quality photos to fill the entire calendar.  As a result, I began reaching out to coworkers and photographers seeking additional photo submissions.  While this was stressful, I left feeling confident that I would receive additional photo entries based on the connections that my coworkers provided me with.

I had a busy week at Select Sires and learned a lot in the process!

Week Four

This week marks one month spent interning at Select Sires.  On Monday, I finished the intern press release and sent it out to my supervisor for review.  I continued to make calendar edits and showcased what I’ve designed thus far to my supervisor and coworkers. After gaining some insight, I will continue making progress based on their suggestions.

On Tuesday, I revised the press release based on my supervisor’s edits.  Afterwards, I recorded calendar photo entries in my spreadsheet and continued creating design options for the front cover and monthly covers.  In preparation for the World Jersey Conference next week, I attended a meeting with coworkers who are also going to be involved at the event.  During the event, I will be responsible for leading 25 group members to each segment of their tour.  After the meeting, I helped a fellow intern prepare 135 swag bags for the event.

On Wednesday, I traveled to calf campus to take photos of two interns.  Calf campus is about 20 minutes away from Select Sires’ headquarters and houses calves who are part of the Aggressive Reproductive Technology program.  During my time there, I became familiarized with my surroundings in preparation for the World Jersey Conference tours.  After returning to the office, I began designing a poster for the conference, showcasing VALENTINO, Select Sires’ number one selling Jersey.  The poster will be displayed outside of the collection arena, where attendees will get to view VALENTINO during their tour.

On Thursday, I spent the majority of the day designing the VALENTINO poster.  I learned some new tips and tricks in Photoshop and successfully created an eye-appealing poster that I am excited to add to my portfolio.  After I was finished, I sent each member of the communications team a copy for any edits that they may have.  Then, I finished preparing the swag bags for the conference and began preparing to be a group leader by looking over information about Select Sires with the help of my coworkers.

On Friday, I edited the VALENTINO poster, printed and laminated it.  I also took and edited new employee photos, folded brochures and helped prepare for Monday.

I am excited to help with the World Jersey Conference on Monday!

Week Three

During my third week at Select Sires, I was very busy!  The majority of my week was spent making progress on the calendar and Intern Spotlights.  On Monday, I moderated photo submissions and organized them into their appropriate folders and recorded them on the spreadsheet.  Then, I checked over the bottom half of the calendar to ensure that all of the dates and information was correct in order to meet my draft deadline on Wednesday.  Afterwards, I made the appropriate changes.  Later on, I worked on Intern Spotlights.  With over 10 interns to track down and take photos of, the Intern Spotlight project takes a lot of communication and planning on my part.

On Tuesday, I continued making Intern Spotlight graphics.  I was able to create most of the captions for future social media posts based on the information that I received from the interns.  Later, I continued to organize and record photo submissions for the calendar.  It is important to record all of the necessary information for each photo, including the photographer’s name, the farm that the photo was taken at and the Select Sire progeny, or descendant, that is pictured.  It is also important to ensure that each photo is in the appropriate mode (CMYK) and the appropriate resolution (300 dpi).

On Wednesday, I continued working on Intern Spotlight graphics and also added information to the intern press release.  I also started brainstorming some graphic design elements to be featured on the front of the calendar.  After getting some inspiration, I started designing.

On Thursday and Friday, I took numerous photos of interns within their work environment, designed their graphics and created captions for the social media posts.  In addition, I also designed multiple calendar covers with plans to present them to my supervisor in the coming week.  Based on prior internship experience, I’ve learned that when I’m asked to create a graphic it is important to create various designs.  As I kept designing, more ideas started flowing and I started to like my graphics more as my work progressed.

I’m happy with the progress that I’m making on my projects!

Week Two

During my second week at Select Sires, I was able to discover more about the company as a whole.  On Monday, I rode with Bruce Smith, an employee of COBA, one of nine member cooperatives.  We travelled to numerous farms, where we delivered semen and ensured that the farmers’ nitrogen tanks were sufficiently filled in order to store the product until ready for use.  This experience allowed me to understand how product goes full circle, from the collection arena at the corporate office, to a dairy or beef farm.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I began working on the 2019 dairy calendar.  I began by updating the 2018 calendar template based on 2019’s dates.  I also added moon phases, national holidays, Canadian holidays, gestation periods and estrus cycles.  All of this information is very useful for farmers both in their home and their barn.

On Friday, I continued making progress on the Intern Spotlight project.  I took some photos of interns in their work environment, created a graphic for social media and began typing descriptions for each social media post based on the interns’ biographies.  Later that day, the Intern Spotlight series was launched on social media.

I enjoyed my second week spent at Select Sires and am excited to keep making progress on my projects!