Meat Science Student Named WT Intern of the Year

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

CANYON, Texas — A meat science major who tackled major projects for the country’s largest sausage company is West Texas A&M University’s Intern of the Year for 2024.

Helene Keiser, a junior animal science major from Gothenburg, Nebraska, was honored for her work at Johnsonville during a Nov. 13 reception in the lobby of WT’s Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building on the Canyon campus.

As Intern of the Year, Keiser 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 WT’s Intern of the Year is always a challenge, but a welcome one,” said Shelby Ford, assistant director of WT’s Office of Career and Professional Development. “Helene stood out because of her ability to integrate community service into her internship and how she was able to capitalize on the connections she made during her time at Johnsonville to further her undergraduate research work.”

Keiser, who worked in Johnsonville’s sourcing department, was one of 20 interns from around the country employed over the summer at the Wisconsin-based company.

“I was assigned to purchasing, mostly in meat and casings, but I got to see all aspects, even sow procurement,” Keiser said. “I really stepped out of my comfort zone being in a sourcing position on the business side rather than on the meat science side.”

Keiser is a member of the national-champion WT Meat Science Quiz Bowl team and the Meat Judging team, which has won two major competitions this season.

“Upon hiring, it was quickly apparent that Helene could be trusted to handle important tasks with buyers in packaging, meat and casings, ingredients, and maintenance, repair, and others,” wrote Eric Jones, senior packaging buyer for Johnsonville. “This included communicating with over 200 vendors to create an updated document list and emergency contact list, monitor daily meat deliveries for on time and in full, order beef trim for sausage production, and submit claims to vendors when order specifications were not met.”

During her internship, Keiser helped restart Johnsonville’s annual Brat Fry, held for the first time in five years, and organized two office fundraisers to cover the event’s overhead costs, ultimately helping Johnsonville raise more than $6,500 for Feeding America–Eastern Wisconsin.

Keiser also developed her own presentation, “Beef 101,” in which she educated more than 70 coworkers about the beef processing industry and how it differs from the pork industry, with which they were more familiar.

“Johnsonville members were so impressed with Helene that other departments took notice,” Jones wrote. “Specifically, the Johnsonville Sustainable Swine Resource team has partnered with her and WT Meat Science to sponsor an undergraduate research project in efforts to find value with swine offal products.”

Keiser—who works in the WT Beef Carcass Research Center and the Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center, on top of her studies—is researching what value can be found in swine offal products.

“Helene has a passion for meat science and being the best version of herself, and I think the Intern of the Year Award would be a great way to honor her work and service to not only the department, but her positive impact she has had on WT and the meat industry,” wrote Dr. Loni Lucherk, WT’s Gordon W. Davis Endowed Chair of Meat Judging. “She is truly an all-star.”

In addition to Keiser, 17 other WT students were nominated for Intern of the Year:

• Jessica Dexter, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Delta, Colorado, who interned for Standard Meat Co.;
• Kaitlyn Evans, a senior mechanical engineering major from Valley View, who interned at Valero;
• Will Hauerland, a junior agribusiness and economics major from Columbus, who interned for Five Rivers Cattle Feeders;
• Katrina Henderson, a senior computer science major from Amarillo, who interned for Sandia National Laboratories;
• Mikayla Hudnall, a senior animal science major from Lorenzo, who interned for Food Safety Net Services;
• Lane Golla, a senior animal science major from New Braunfels, who interned for Tyson Foods;
• Sydney Larkin, a junior communication major from Pampa, who interned for Bell Textron;
• Luis Martinez, a senior general business major from Pampa, who interned for American Quarter Horse Association;
• M’Kenna McFadden, a senior animal science major from Lubbock, who interned for Cactus Feeders;
• Emma McNabb, a senior animal science major from Brentwood, California, who interned for Four Sixes Ranch;
• Luke Parrott, a senior electrical engineering major from Canyon, who interned for Xcel Energy;
• Calvin Pham, a senior finance major from Amarillo, who interned for Raytheon;
• Celina Pinela, a senior mechanical engineering major from Bovina; who interned for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;
• Ava Pluchino, a junior agribusiness and economics major from Houston, who interned for Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign;
• Cesar Rivero-Figueroa, a senior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo, who interned for Altura Engineering and Design;
• Alison Sweeney, a junior political science major from Spring, who interned for Harris County Commissioner Leslie Briones; and
• Emmalee Wood, a senior mechanical engineering major from Lakehills, who interned for Southwest Research Institute.

Jessica Dexter

Kaitlyn Evans

Will Hauerland

Katrina Henderson

Mikayla Hudnall

Lane Golla

Sydney Larkin

Luis Martinez

M'Kenna McFadden

Emma McNabb

Luke Parrott

Calvin Pham

Celina Pinela

Ava Pluchino

Cesar Rivero-Figuero

Alison Sweeney

Emmalee Wood

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 $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. 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 more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and 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.

Top Photo: Helene Keiser, a junior animal science major from Gothenburg, Nebraska, was honored as West Texas A&M University Intern of the Year for 2024 for her work at Johnsonville.

—WT—