June 14, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Jena McRell, digital editor, at 816-383-5100 or jmcrell@angus.media
PHOTOS: Available on request via prphotos@angus.org
Interns Arrive at Angus
Haley Ercoli, Morgan Marley, Mayzie Purviance and Taylor Wilkins spending a summer interning with the American Angus Association.
The American Angus Association welcomes four interns to Saint Joseph, Mo., for the summer: Haley Ercoli, Morgan Marley, Mayzie Purviance and Taylor Wilkins. These four young women have packed up and moved to Saint Joseph in hopes of broadening their horizons, furthering their education and obtaining real-world experience in their specific career paths.
Haley Ercoli from Plant City, Fla., will be working as the Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) intern. Ercoli’s responsibilities will focus on collecting and inputting data from Angus breeder’s herds.
“Applying for the internship with Angus was a no-brainer for me,” Ercoli says. “I’m extremely interested in genetics, and I knew being able to add ‘Angus Association’ to my résumé would help me out in the long run.”
Growing up on her family’s farm sparked her interest in agriculture at a young age. She is the daughter of Lisa and Richard Ercoli, and is an animal science major at the University of Florida (UF), with an emphasis in equine studies. Ercoli plans to graduate in December of 2017. Upon graduation, she plans to apply to vet school to continue her studies. She is a member of the Block and Bridle and Gator Cattlewomen chapters at UF.
“I am so thankful for this opportunity to intern with AGI,” Ercoli said. “The American Angus Association is such a prestigious organization, and I am proud to represent the University of Florida here this summer.”
Morgan Marley of Elkins, Ark., was selected as the Angus Productions Inc. (API) communications intern. Her responsibilities for the summer include traveling on behalf of the Angus Media team to report on Association events, such as Beef Leaders Institute and the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS); writing news stories and releases published in the Angus Journal® and online Angus platforms; and assisting with the production of The Angus Report.
Marley was raised on a commercial cow-calf and poultry operation where she worked alongside her family in the daily chores of both cattle and poultry production. She graduated from the University of Arkansas last summer with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education, communications and technology, and a minor in animal science. She is currently attending Colorado State University, pursuing a master’s degree in public communication and technology. After obtaining her master’s degree, she hopes to have a communications career in the livestock industry promoting beef cattle.
“When I started applying for summer internships, I knew the position with Angus Media was my first choice,” Marley said. “I wanted more experience in the livestock industry, and I can’t think of a better place to gain that experience than at the American Angus Association. From the superb quality of people to the high-caliber production of print, digital and video media produced in-house, there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather spend my summer learning from the best in the beef industry.”
Marley grew up working on her family’s farm, where her most memorable activities involved the cattle side of the operation. She has spent time visiting and learning about various Angus operations through participating in livestock judging.
“The opportunity to work with Angus Media will allow me to further grow as a communicator and advocate for the industry I am most passionate about,” Marley said. “It is my life’s ambition to motivate and empower others both inside and outside of the livestock industry to work together toward a brighter future of supplying the world with quality beef.”
Mayzie Purviance of Rosalie, Texas, has joined the API staff as the editorial intern. She will spend the summer contributing to the Angus Journal, the Angus Beef Bulletin®, the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA and the Angus Journal Daily electronic newsletter. She will also travel to various industry events and conferences and will contribute to the Angus Media team’s online coverage of events.
Purviance is a junior at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and a graduate of Rivercrest High School. She is a member of the Alpha Beta chapter of the Sigma Alpha Agricultural Sorority and works as a photographer for the TAMU Corps of Cadets. She is majoring in agricultural communications and journalism, with an emphasis and certification in event planning.
Purviance is no stranger to the cattle industry. Her family has been ranching and farming for decades. She was an active member of the Cuthand 4-H club and the Rivercrest FFA chapter, and she is a former Paris District FFA officer. Purviance also wrote for the Bogata News-Talco Times her junior and senior years of high school.
Purviance said she has always dreamed of being published in the Angus Journal, and now she gets the chance to make that dream come true. While applying for scholarships during her senior year of high school, she included in many of her essays her intentions and hopes for the future.
“I dream of a life traveling the nation, interviewing people and sharing their story with the world,” she wrote. “My ultimate goal is for my grandfather [Dennis Purviance] to stumble upon one of my articles in the Angus Journal or some other magazine when he is having his morning coffee.”
Taylor Wilkins of Brooker, Fla., is the American Angus Association’s events and education intern. Wilkins will assist the Events and Education Department in organizing contests, shows and assisting with general office duties throughout the summer.
Wilkins said she has always dreamed about working for the American Angus Association in some way, shape, form or fashion. She grew up on a small farm with Angus cattle and has shown Angus and Angus-influenced livestock.
“To see a breed grow tremendously and to see a company continue to promote and expand the breed speaks volumes,” she said. “What better way to learn and gain experience throughout my college career than from the experts themselves?”
Wilkins is the daughter of Terry and Ginger Wilkins. She is an agriculture and life sciences education major at Iowa State University and will graduate in December of 2017. Wilkins plans on furthering her education by pursuing a master’s degree.
At her university, Wilkins is involved in Block and Bridle, Bacon Expo and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ambassador program. She also works for the college.
“I am looking forward to spending my summer on the road representing the American Angus Association,” Wilkins said. “I am excited for the challenges, as well as the adventures, I will encounter over the next few months.”
Visit www.angus.org for more information about internship opportunities available through the American Angus Association.
— Written by Mayzie Purviance, Angus Media editorial intern
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.
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