AgCarolina Intern’s Summer Project Promotes Financial Literacy 

Born and raised in Wilson, North Carolina, Anna Coleman grew up surrounded by row crops and a strong agricultural community. While her family didn’t farm, they worked in agribusiness, giving her a solid connection to the industry.

An agricultural business management major with a minor in environmental science at NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Coleman spent her summer interning with AgCarolina Farm Credit. Working in both the Smithfield branch and Greenville headquarters, she gained insight into the organization’s work providing farm, home and land loans, helping young and beginning farmers access credit, and offering equipment leasing.

Coleman, who graduates in December, sat down with CALS to talk about what she’s learned this summer about the business of agriculture as well as her work on a project to develop and promote financial literacy materials for high school teachers and students that can be used across AgCarolina’s service area and the Farm Credit System.

How did you become interested in interning at AgCarolina Farm Credit?

I heard about AgCarolina Farm Credit from my former mentor and NC State alumnus, Norman Harrell, who was my internship supervisor last year. He’s the N.C. Cooperative Extension director in Wilson County and a North Carolina Agriculture Foundation board member. I also heard about AgCarolina through the CALS Career Services webpage. Additionally, John Russ, undergraduate coordinator and senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, shared several internship leads with students. He’s been super helpful and always mentioned AgCarolina as one of the top companies. Also, an AgCarolina employee was a guest lecturer for one of my professional development classes. She discussed her career path, including why she enjoys working for the company. 

Describe your summer internship project.

Every summer, AgCarolina assigns a project to its interns. We created financial literacy resources for high school teachers and students. We partnered with AgSouth, a sister institution serving western North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. AgSouth and AgCarolina operate under AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, which serves the southern United States. The previous intern project featured only AgCarolina branding, but for this project, the goal was to make it association-wide. Collaborating with AgSouth expanded the territory and allowed us to reach a broader audience.

The team consisted of credit interns and marketing interns from AgCarolina and AgSouth. I was a marketing intern for this project. 

What was the overall goal of the project?

The intern team created materials for teachers offering financial literacy resources to high school students and a marketing plan to promote the materials. After receiving teacher input, we made materials about accounts and credit, budgeting and saving, student and car loans, taxes, retirement and investments, and entrepreneurship. Students will also have access to these digital resources.

What were the first steps you took to make it happen?

We began the project by sending a survey to teachers, educators, 4-H Extension agents and people who work with youth in agriculture. We asked them what students were interested in and what they thought educators needed to teach financial literacy. We connected with Joshua Bledsoe, state agricultural education leader and FFA advisor, who distributed our survey through an FFA newsletter. Additionally, two interns attended the North Carolina FFA State Convention in June, asking teachers to complete the surveys, resulting in 40 entries. 

What kinds of financial literacy materials did you create?

We designed a mix of forward-facing and gated content. The forward-facing materials include a presentation, a workbook with sample activities and short videos to engage students who are visual learners. The gated worksheets are more in-depth and require teachers to enter their name and email to access them so they can get reminders and tips for using the materials during the school year, like budgeting lessons in the fall or student loan information during college application season.

What part of the project are you most proud of?

We are super proud that our Farm Credit-branded materials can be used throughout the entire U.S., including our office in Puerto Rico, capturing a broad audience. The AgCarolina and AgSouth staff will build an association-wide online platform to house the financial literacy resources we created. The site will also enable educators to invite AgCarolina or AgSouth lenders to their classrooms. 

How does this experience build on your CALS coursework? 

During the spring semester of my junior year, I took Agricultural Financial Management, which covered finances, loans and amortization schedules. When the AgCarolina office staff talked about amortization schedules, I could follow along and understand because I learned about it in school. It was super helpful to have that foundation already. 

Also, my U.S. Agriculture Policy class helped me understand how the government influences the agricultural sector and how AgCarolina aids farmers facing difficulties with current challenges. 

What surprises have you encountered during your internship?

I’ve always had access to Google, where I can look something up and, in two seconds, have an answer. So, over this eight-week internship, my group had to plan how to complete our financial resources project — and it took us all eight weeks from start to finish. Usually, in school, I have a two-week deadline for a project, and then it’s done; I don’t have to worry about a project all semester long. But I learned that I can be patient with myself and patient with the process. 

How has your internship helped clarify your career goals?

From my first day, I knew AgCarolina was a great place to work. The advisors and mentors were a constant source of encouragement throughout my internship. The family-like culture set the tone for my summer. I can see myself doing this as a career. I worked under a Smithfield branch employee who has been with AgCarolina for 34 years, and that showed me this is a promising career that people enjoy.