Fresno State’s Charles Boyer, left, and David Schadd of USDA’s Farm Service Agency
California State University, Fresno students interested in government and agricultural related careers will benefit from a recent agreement between the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and United States Department of Agriculture.
The agreement states that USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide exposure to career opportunities for Fresno State students.
“Partnerships like this give our students unique opportunities and help set our programs apart in experiential learning,” said Charles Boyer, dean of the Jordan College “Participation in this program provides students with a hands-on experience and may even be the start of a career in government service.”
Programs available include the Summer Internship Program, Student Temporary Employment Program, Student Career Experience Program and other related volunteer or experiential-learning programs. FSA also will give opportunities for Fresno State students to participate in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities-National Internship Program.
“We are very pleased with the quality of students that have come from Fresno State in the past few years,” said Russ Friend, executive director of Fresno County’s FSA office.
Five students work with FSA in Fresno County. Friend hopes that this group will grow to 15 by the end of the school year.
“A number of good people in our organization got their start here,” said David Schaad, FSA acting California executive director and administrative officer. “It’s a good model, the campus coupled with our FSA office. Fresno State has been recognized and appreciated.”
This is the third time that Fresno State has signed this type of agreement with USDA agencies. One was signed in 2007 with the Food Safety Inspection Service and another in 2005 with the Agricultural Marketing Service. Fresno State is the first university in California with these agreements, according to officials.
For more information contact the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at 559.278.2061.
(Copy by University Communications student intern Jackie Mundt.)
