State Ambassador Internship Applications Now Open!
The Illinois Pork Producers Association State Ambassador/Intern serves as a representative of the association and the pork industry. The chosen individual will hold the title of State Ambassador for a full year and will work from the Springfield office during the summer of their term (May - August).
Main duties of the intern include managing the birthing center during the Illinois State Fair, attending Summer Ag Institutes for teachers to present about pork, a project of his/her choosing (to be discussed with staff) and various other events. The internship is education and communication focused.
The Ambassador/Intern will be paid a $3,000 stipend, paid in increments of $1,000 over a 3-month period (June, July and August) , plus all traveling expenses. Upon successful completion of the internship, they will also earn a $2,500 scholarship paid directly to the school. Start date will depend on the student’s school schedule and end date will be after the conclusion of the 2025 IL State Fair (August 7-17). The intern must plan to be enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate school for at least the fall of 2025
Qualifications:
- Must be an Illinois resident between the ages of 18 and 23 (Undergraduate and graduate students may apply. Note that payment is only provided via scholarship, directly to the institution.)
- Must have a strong background in pig husbandy
- Must exhibit strong written and verbal communication, organization and leadership skills
- Must exhibit a genuine interest in the Illinois pork industry and be able to speak on behalf of it
- Recommended that he/she has attended Illinois Livestock Leadership Institute (Previously IPLI. Will get to attend on behalf of their internship)
- Must be a member (or become a member) of the Illinois Pork Producers Association
- Must have reliable transportation and be willing to travel to out-of-state training and functions
- May only serve one year
- In person interviews will be held on Oct. 17-18 in Springfield
Any questions may be directed to Jennifer Tirey at jennifer@ilpork.com or 217-529-3100.
Meet the 2024 State Ambassador, JoBeth Matli!
Hello, my name is JoBeth Matli. I’m from Raymond, which is a small agricultural town 40 minutes south of Springfield. I live in Rountree Township, a few miles outside of town. I volunteer with the Nokomis-Witt ambulance EMS, where I work as an EMR which is a emergency medical responder.
Since I was 14 years old, I have worked for Borgic sow farm in Nokomis Il. During that time, I have learned to work as a midwife, do day one shots, and provide daily care for the sows and piglets. I have also participated in some of the annual meetings and have helped with distributing pork to others.
In 2022, I attended the Illinois Livestock Leadership trip. During the trip, I had a great time meeting new people and all the opportunities I got to experience on the trip. I was able to see so many things I never thought I would ever get to see in my life. I am so excited to say I was able to go on this trip and got to meet people and see so many things.
Currently, I’m attending Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) in Springfield for Ag business in applied sciences. I joined the AG club at LLCC where we have monthly meetings, and we spend our time talking about what we should do to give back to the community and school. Our AG club also goes on fun trips and outings. We have gone to a college football game, top golf, game night at LLCC, and are planning a ski trip. All the activities help us spend more time with our peers in agriculture to build relationships and help us to continue to learn and plan for our futures in agriculture.
