Ally Huang, a senior at Pomona College in California, just completed an internship through the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a public policy analysis major focusing on economics, she found that the experience enabled her to connect her educational background with a familiar cause: food security. During her internship with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Albany, California, Huang focused on the policy aspects of recent state legislation regarding composting and food packaging. “I connected with the overall end goal to reduce waste,” she said. “I have always been really interested in sustainability and am mindful of it in daily life.”
James McManus, an ARS research chemist and Huang’s supervisor, took steps to ensure that the internship was a purely educational experience, which she appreciated. “From the very beginning, he made sure we set goals that aligned with what I could gain from the project for my professional and personal interests,” she said.
Huang’s internship shaped her career aspirations, particularly her interest in working for USDA or the federal government more broadly. Her perception of government research evolved during this experience, and she now sees it as the nexus of academia and the private sector. She values the increased research autonomy, interaction with the private sector, and opportunities for academic collaboration.
“When I came to Washington D.C. and spoke to passionate USDA leaders, it surprised and inspired me to see so much warmth and their eagerness to introduce us to their work,” she said. “It seems like there really is a need for people with my background or who bring their own identities to join USDA.”
After graduation, Huang would like to do work related to research, writing and communication because she values these skill sets. “Being able to collect and synthesize information and then use that information to inform an outcome is a powerful thing,” she said.
Her advice to current students is to seek out resources like webinars, career fairs and USDA liaisons to learn about working for the government “Programs like this internship will continue to be impactful for more students in the years to come,” she said.
To find out about this and other internship opportunities with USDA, visit the Internship and Career Opportunities section of USDA’s Youth in Agriculture web page.
