UF Students Make Up One-Third of Summer Interns at Select Sires Inc.

Two University of Findlay students are among six interns getting hands-on learning experience this summer at Select Sires Inc. Located in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc. is the world’s largest artificial insemination (A.I.) cooperative and is comprised of six local organizations in the United States that are owned and controlled by farmers.

Seniors Caroline Winter and Samantha Adkins joined Select Sires Inc. with the goal of  gaining knowledge and experience of the industry, while also creating professional relationships. As an animal science major with a focus on pre-veterinary studies, Winter is working as a veterinary intern, helping with blood draws, procedures, tests, and processing samples collected from bulls. Adkins, an English major with an emphasis in Public and Professional Writing, works full-time with the communications team collaborating on written, visual, and video content for Select Sires, Inc.

“I feel that as an intern I’ve been given a large amount of responsibility with my work. My initial role was to design and produce two breeding calendars for the 2024 year, and now I’m developing a recruitment kit and participating in team projects,” said Adkins. “As a writer and graphic designer, some of my biggest strengths are being a great learner and researcher. I don’t come from a strong agricultural background, but I have enjoyed the learning curve and never knew I would learn so much about cows in such a short amount of time.”

Winter’s experiences are providing out-of the classroom learning too. “Internships as a pre-vet student allows me the rare opportunity to work with animals hands-on rather than standing back and shadowing,” said Winter. “I am gaining knowledge and experience that will help me in vet school and after, especially with working around bulls. The vets have done a great job of letting me enhance the skills I had, while teaching me new essential skills for the veterinary field.”

David Thorbahn, president and CEO of Select Sires, Inc. is proud to offer multiple internship opportunities, helping students just like Winter and Adkins each year. “We offer internships in all divisions of Select Sires, Inc. It is this breadth and depth of our internship experience that allows students to focus on their interests,” he said. “We try to tailor internship experiences to each student, often creating unique experiences to fit the needs of the student and the company.”

Both UF interns expressed their gratitude for Select Sires, Inc., thanking the employees and company for treating them like family and helping them grow professionally. They noted that the support they have received this summer mirrors the support they get at UF. “The support I receive from my professors and advisors when I ask questions regarding internships and what I need to do to prepare for vet school is amazing,” said Winter. “I was given multiple opportunities to interview people, write press releases, and design for local businesses at Findlay, and the attentiveness of my co-workers at Select Sires, Inc. closely reflects that of my professors,” Adkins said.

For more information about UF’s internship programs, visit the University’s Center for Career & Professional Development website. To learn more about the Animal Science and Pre-vet program and/or the English (Public & Professional Writing) program at the University of Findlay, visit their respective pages.