High School Internship: Ben Witt and Anez Consulting
LFCHS graduates Paul and Vince Anez, owners of Anez Consulting, understand the importance of engaging high school students early in their education to inform them of viable career opportunities within the Little Falls community. The partnership between LFCHS, Anez Consulting and Ben Witt was forged before the implementation of the Senior Internship Program pilot project in the spring of 2015. The summer prior to his senior year, Ben had worked part time for them. Ben learned of the part time position through an Agriculture class he was taking at LFCHS. Doug Ploof, Ag instructor, has had a long-standing partnership with Anez Consulting throughout his tenure at LFCHS. In fact, Mr. Ploof was an influential teacher to both the Anez brothers!
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When discussions began for implementing an internship program, it seemed a natural fit to have Ben Witt and Anez Consulting be the lone intern/mentor combo outside of the school district for the pilot project (interns placed in the school district with this pilot project included Information Technology, Elementary Education, Videography and Journalism).
When asked, Ben told us, "I had worked on my uncle's farm prior to the internship and it there, along with several roadside views that I had prior exposure to Anez Consulting. At that time, all I knew about crop consulting was that they soil sampled and looked at crops. Getting involved in the internship opened my eyes to so much more as I realized just how diverse and precise the work they do is." |
The internship experience provided Ben an opportunity to contribute more in-depth, meaningful and relevant work that mirrored that of an authentic position he could obtain after further education. The result of this expanded partnership was beyond anything we could have imagined. Not only did Ben and his mentors have a positive experience, he was hired as an employee, continuing to work while attending NDSU where he is studying Crop and Weed Sciences; pursuing the agronomy option within their program.
Those involved in this project don’t consider this partnership a success because Ben was hired after the completion of his internship experience; rather, it was a success because it not only reaffirmed Ben’s career interests in agronomy, the experience also connected him with professionals in his field of interest and showed him there are viable options for him to be successful in his desired career within Little Falls.
Those involved in this project don’t consider this partnership a success because Ben was hired after the completion of his internship experience; rather, it was a success because it not only reaffirmed Ben’s career interests in agronomy, the experience also connected him with professionals in his field of interest and showed him there are viable options for him to be successful in his desired career within Little Falls.