For years, Select Sires has fostered an environment ideal for teaching and training the next generation. This year is no exception, as Select Sires welcomes a group of six new interns to the team for the summer. Taylor Ayars and Caroline Winter will be spending their summers as veterinary interns, with Zachary Schmidt joining as a livestock technician. Samantha Adkins will start in the office as a corporate communications intern, Ian Johnson as the newest corporate account intern and Erin Curtis Szalach in dairy sire marketing.
“We offer internships in all divisions of Select Sires,” said David Thorbahn, president and CEO of Select Sires Inc. “It is this breadth and depth of our internship experience that allows students to focus on their interests. We try to tailor internship experiences to each student, often creating unique experiences to fit the needs of the student and the company.”
Mechanicsburg, Ohio, native Taylor Ayars, is looking forward to learning about the veterinarian’s role in the A.I. industry as a veterinary intern. A Wilmington College graduate, Ayars is now studying at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine with aspirations to pursue a career in either food or mixed animal medicine. She is no stranger to the agriculture industry, having grown up on a beef farm, showing both beef heifers and steers in
4-H and FFA. Ayars is heavily involved on Ohio State’s campus as a member of the Food Animal Club and the Student American Association of Veterinary Nutritionists and a Hill’s Student Representative. This summer, she is looking forward to learning about maintaining sire health, common diseases in sires, and ultimately, the veterinarian’s role in the A.I. industry.
From Ashville, Ohio, Caroline Winter will spend her summer as a veterinary intern. Winter, a senior at the University of Findlay, is majoring in animal science with a focus in veterinary medicine. She grew up on a registered black Angus cattle farm and also maintained a registered Shorthorn herd of her own. On campus, Winter serves as the vice president of Collegiate Future Farmers of America and is a member of Habitat for Humanity and Pre-Vet Club. This summer, Winter is looking forward to learning more about the bovine reproduction side of veterinary medicine, with high hopes to apply what she learns to her future career in animal science.
Zachary Schmidt, a local from Plain City, Ohio, will join the Select Sires team as a livestock technician. Choosing to travel south for school, Schmidt is a current student at the University of Alabama where he is studying mechanical engineering in science, technology, engineering and math with the intention of obtaining his Master of Business Administration soon after. Throughout his youth, Schmidt spent time working on his extended family’s farm and showing steers. Schmidt’s role as a livestock technician will provide him the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, which is what he is most looking forward to doing at Select Sires this summer.
From Milford Center, Ohio, Samantha Adkins joins the communications department as a corporate communications intern. Adkins will be a senior at the University of Findlay where she is studying English and graphic design, with hopes to start her own creative agency. An active student on campus, Adkins holds positions as a resident director, literacy tutor and Sigma Tau Delta public relations officer. She grew up riding and showing horses and participated in 4-H for 13 years where she developed a familiarity with the agriculture industry. Adkins’ primary role this summer will be designing the breeding calendars, and plans to assist with any additional projects, offering experience in photography, social media management and writing.
Ian Johnson did not travel far from home before finding a role as Select Sires’ corporate account intern. Originally from Marysville, Ohio, Johnson has spent the past three years as an animal science student at Iowa State University where he splits his time between the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, Block and Bridle Club, Senior Class Council and being an Animal Science peer mentor. His area of study stems from having grown up on a small club lamb operation, where his family runs 30-head of crossbred and Hampshire ewes. Johnson hopes to continue his career in animal agriculture, specifically within the genetics field, which is why he is looking forward to working with everyone on the Select Sires team and learning from their experiences.
Hailing from Cazenovia, New York, Erin Curtis Szalach will serve as the dairy sire marketing summer intern at Select Sires. She brings a plethora of experience to the table, from being an active member of 4-H, FFA and the National Ayrshire Association, to even selling her own bull to Select Sires. Curtis Szalach is a senior at the State University of New York Cobleskill where she is pursuing her passion of agriculture by obtaining a degree in animal science with a focus in dairy. She grew up on a small, registered Ayrshire farm and hopes to continue working in the dairy industry, preferably in genetics. In the past, Curtis Szalach has raised and developed numerous All-American nominees and hopes to apply her past experience to her current role as the dairy sire marketing intern.
Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is the largest global A.I. cooperative and is comprised of six farmer-owned and -controlled local organizations in the United States. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen, as well as excellence in service and programs to supply dairy and beef producers with the world’s best genetics.
