Ag Student Named WT Intern of the Year Following Impactful Work in D.C.

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A West Texas A&M University student lauded for her “maturity and ambition” while working in Washington for the country’s largest farmer-owned cooperative was named the University’s Intern of the Year at a special reception today.

Kylee Henneberry, a junior agricultural business and economics major from Slinger, Wisconsin, was selected from a field of 13 nominees across the University. She was honored at a Nov. 6 reception in the lobby of WT’s Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building on the Canyon campus.

As Intern of the Year, Hennebury will receive a $1,000 scholarship and will be submitted for the national Cooperative Education & Internship Association Academic Intern of the Year award.

Intern of the Year applications are reviewed by a selection committee comprised of faculty and staff representing all six Colleges.

“Selecting one winner is always challenging, but the committee enjoys the work because the process allows them to see the amazing accomplishments of these students,” said Steve Sellars, associate director of the WT Office of Career and Professional Development . “Kylee’s application stood out because she added so much value to her workplace, well beyond what the typical intern does.”

Henneberry worked from May to August as a government affairs intern for CHS Inc., a Fortune 100 company owned by farmers, ranchers and co-ops from across the country.

She “was truly more than just an intern to us,” wrote Will Stafford, CHS’s director of federal government affairs. “She was an integral part of our team and what we were able to accomplish while she was with us. … This was our first summer having in an intern in our Government Affairs office, and to put it simply, we could not have asked for a better person to join our team than Kylee.”

Henneberry’s internship might have changed her career trajectory, in fact.

“I was certain that I wanted to go to law school to practice law involving agricultural issues,” Henneberry wrote in an application letter. “However, after this summer, I am heavily considering pursuing the policy aspect rather than legal. … After this summer of experiences and mentorship, I am more confident than ever in who I am as a person in both my professional and personal life.”

Henneberry attended congressional hearings on such topics as sustainability and international trade in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, writing memos that were distributed to high-level CHS executives.

While in D.C., she independently sought out lunches with other interns and represented CHS at networking events, as well as volunteering on behalf of the company at a local soup kitchen. She attended the White House arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June

“By late June, we trusted Kylee so much that we gave her a central role in managing a trip to D.C. by our CEO and board of directors,” Stafford wrote. “In this role, Kylee not only maintained schedules and logistics for the highest-ranking executives in the company, she also helped write the … prep materials which included talking points that our CEO used in meetings with members of Congress and the Brazilian ambassador.”

None of that came as a surprise to Dr. Chelsea Arnold, WT assistant professor of agricultural business and economics and Henneberry’s instructor and adviser.

“Kylee … is an excellent example of academic excellence and unwavering dedication to her goals,” Arnold wrote in a nomination letter. “She (also) is known for her kindness and thoughtfulness to others, traits that make her not only an exceptional student but also a wonderful member of the community.”

Henneberry co-founded the Ag Pre-Law Club, works as an intern in the Amarillo office of Rep. Ronny Jackson and works as a student leadership consultant at WT. She was a WT student employee of the year nominee in 2022 and 2023.

In addition to Henneberry, 12 other WT students were nominated for Intern of the Year:

• Filiberto Avila, a senior digital communication and media major from Spearman, who interned for Momoc Real People in Madrid;
• Abigail Coffee, a senior economics major from Dalhart, who interned at the Bank of New York Mellon Securities Services and Digital Assets in Wellesley, Massachusetts;
• Christiana Dawson, a senior graphic design major from Hereford, who interned in WT Student Affairs;
• Jaden Davenport, a senior management and agribusiness major from Lubbock; who interned for A&M Platinum in Amarillo (not pictured below);
• Brae Foust, a broadcast journalism major from Panhandle who’s seeking a second bachelor’s degree, who interned at Palm Springs Power Baseball in Palm Springs, California;
• Haley Hall, a senior agriculture media and communication major from Model, Colorado, who interned at the National Western Stock Show in Denver;
• Mikayla Hudnall, a junior animal science major from Lorenzo, who interned at National Beef in Kansas City, Missouri;
• Allison Hunter, a senior computer information systems major from Borger, who interned at BOC Bank in Amarillo;
• Niquole Knapp, a senior animal science major from Rocky Ford, Colorado, who interned at Five Rivers Cattle Feeding Co. in Lamar, Colorado;
• Ilse Paredes Mares, a senior chemistry major from Dalhart, who interned at the Texas A&M University School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Physiology in Bryan;
• Eli Weisensee, a junior agribusiness major from Limon, Colorado, who interned at Farm Credit of Southern Colorado in Limon; and
• Kyler Wilhelm, a junior management major from Canyon, who interned at Xcel Energy.

Filiberto Avila

Abigail Coffee

Christiana Dawson

Brae Foust

Hayley Hall

Mikayla Hudnall

Allison Hunter

Niquole Knapp

Ilse Paredes Mares

Eli Weisensee

Kyler Wilhelm

WT’s commitment to successful, resourceful students is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic  One West  comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—