If you stopped by the Smith County Extension Office this summer, you may have seen a new face. McKenzie Mason has been working with us this summer as our summer intern. McKenzie is currently a junior at Tennessee Tech University majoring in Agribusiness Management. While at school, she works as a student assistant in the office of the School of Agriculture.
McKenzie wanted to intern with us to gain real-life experience of potential careers in the Agriculture Industry. McKenzie participated in 4-H during elementary school but never realized how far 4-H could go. She says this summer has been eye-opening to be able to see all that Extension can do for you through 4-H, Agricultural and Natural Resources, and Family and Consumer Sciences. She has learned the daily operations of the Smith County Extension Office this summer. McKenzie states, “The amount of hard work the ladies in the office put in is inspiring. They are trying their hardest to help and educate the people of Smith County.”
Over the summer, McKenzie has assisted with 4-H camp, helped at the Smith County Fair, went on farm and home visits, observed FCS events, and much more. McKenzie’s favorite moment this summer was Agriculture Day with Smith County Adult Leadership. “Seeing the farmers of Smith County and some of their daily operations is a great learning experience. We could not make it without farmers, so getting to see their impacts on Smith County Agriculture is really cool,” she explained. Some honorable mentions for McKenzie’s favorite moment were the Women in Ag Summit, 4-H Camp, and the fair.
McKenzie would like to thank UT Extension for giving her the opportunity and Altria Client Services for sponsoring her internship this summer. She hopes any college student interested in Extension or Agriculture applies for one of the many internships UT Extension offers and gets the chance to learn what she has. We know that McKenzie’s future is bright!
For more information about UT Extension Smith County, call our office at 615-735-2900. 
