September 16, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Holly Martin, director of communications

816-383-5143

hmartin@angus.org

To view photo, click here.
Cutline: The 2022 Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Interns during their visit to the American Angus Association^® headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. Pictured from left are Jeronimo Lara, Shattuck, Okla.; Alexis Camara, Pukalaui, Hawaii; Sam Talley, Easley, S.C.; Elise Knapp, Westfield, Iowa; and Sawyer Starrett, Pekin, Ind.

Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program internship and host ranch applications now open
Applications for Talon interns and host ranches now available for 2023.

For many, hands-on learning serves as the most engaging, interactive and practical way to retain information. The Talon internship program provides college-aged students the unique opportunity to spend their summer on an Angus operation gaining valuable, hands-on experience. Interns will gain extensive ranching knowledge while complimenting their skills as advocates for the beef industry. Host applications for the Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program internship are due Oct. 31, and student intern applications are due Dec. 1.

“We are thankful for the vision of Cam Cooper in preparing the next generation of leaders for Angus and the cattle industry,” said Jaclyn Upperman, Angus Foundation executive director.

The late Camron “Cam” Cooper of the Talon Ranch, Twin Bridges, Montana developed the Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Endowment Fund in 2009 to be a one-of-a-kind educational experience for students.

“It’s exciting to watch this program grow each year as our host ranches mentor students from across the country,” Upperman said.

College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students under the age of 25 and majoring in an agricultural-related field of study are eligible to apply.

“I always had a love for agriculture and unfortunately in Hawaii there aren’t a lot of ag schools,” said Alexis Camara, Talon intern at Bear Mountain Angus Ranch in Palisade, Nebraska. “I’m super grateful and honored to be able to do this program with Angus.”

Camara hails from Pukalaui, Hawaii and attends Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado with a double major in animal science and crop science. Her family is the only cattle operation in Hawaii with a feedlot, and that has pasture on different islands. She grew up traveling the islands to process cattle, but her professors challenged her to apply for the internship and expand her knowledge beyond her home region.

“Being from Hawaii, I never would have thought that I could intern with a breed association,” said Camara. “It’s a great learning experience. You get to experience a different ranch and how they do things, and every ranch has their own style.”

During the internship, recipients visit both the American Angus Association^® headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri and Certified Angus Beef headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. Additionally, interns get the opportunity to participate in numerous Angus and beef cattle activities off the farm, such as educational events, conferences and field days.

Compensation for Talon interns is provided by the Angus Foundation through the Angus/Talon Youth Educational Learning Program Endowment Fund.

Angus breeders and students interested in participating in the program can learn more and apply at bit.ly/AngusFoundationTalonProgram, or contact Jaclyn Upperman, Angus Foundation executive director, at JUpperman@Angus.org.

— Written by Peyton Schmitt, Angus Communications

About the Angus Foundation

Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $3.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.

For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association^® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on 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, visit www.angus.org.