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Jamie Parker
"Seeing my work contribute to such a massive operation was really rewarding."
As a Navy veteran, public service appeals to me as a way to make a difference.
The United States Department of Agriculture / Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) Growing Good in Government Initiative (G3I) provides me that opportunity in a real-world setting. During my G3I internship, I gained experience analyzing policies and governance documents, as well as interagency agreements as they related to compliance with the guidelines of Executive Orders, public law, and regulations. A highlight of the G3I internship includes preparing the capstone presentation at the end of the nine-month internship. The capstone is an opportunity afforded to interns to present findings and recommendations to USDA senior stakeholders.
I am seasonally employed with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service's Cotton and Tobacco Program. As a High-Volume Instrument (HVI) Technician, I am responsible for calibrating equipment used for classifying cotton, which is an eye-opening experience to see how the process of choosing the right fiber for our fabrics begins. During the last cotton harvest, I was responsible for nearly 500,000 samples of the 3.4 million total bales of cotton tested. Seeing my work contribute to such a massive operation was really rewarding.
After graduation, I plan to enter public service full-time via the federal Pathways program as an Analyst, Contract Specialist, or Project/Program Manager.
