2025 Summer Intern’s Key Takeaways

In May, CCA and the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), Canfax and Public & Stakeholder Engagement divisions welcomed interns to our staff teams. In the previous issue of Action News, we featured the interns’ key accomplishments in their own words. We wanted to follow that up with each intern’s key takeaway.

We appreciate all that the 2025 intern cohort contributed this summer. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing how they apply what they learned in their future endeavours.

CCA Intern: Elise Mohler

Throughout my summer at the CCA, I had the opportunity to contribute to a variety of areas, including the environment team, youth development, and animal health team. This diversity was fitting, as it helped me widen my industry knowledge and learn from strong leaders in each field. Being in the room with such knowledgeable producers and professionals was very inspiring for someone beginning their career journey.

One of the most important lessons I took away from this summer is the value of simply introducing yourself. It is a critical first step to building meaningful connections and learning from others. At times, I was hesitant to introduce myself because I felt like I was “just the intern,” but I quickly learned to be more confident as you never know who you’ll meet or what you might learn.

I am grateful to the entire CCA team, as they included me in many conversations over the summer and were always open to answering my questions. This experience significantly contributed to my professional growth, and I look forward to continuing to develop my path in the beef industry.

BCRC Intern: Jenny Delorme

My biggest takeaway from this summer is the importance of connecting research with producers in a clear and practical way. I learned that while research drives innovation, its true impact comes when findings are shared through resources that producers can use on their operations. This experience showed me how closely science and communication work together to support the beef industry.

Canfax Intern: Clare Starosta

If you didn’t know, Fridays are crazy busy for the marketing team at Canfax—especially when you're responsible for both the Canfax Weekly Report and the Beef Farmers of Ontario Weekly Report, which is what I was tasked with one Friday. Data and commentary come flying at you all at once, leaving little time to figure out where everything belongs in each report, let alone type it all in.

When the stress starts to feel overwhelming, don’t worry—the marketing team at Canfax is always ready to drop what they’re doing to help you. Even if you're staying late to finish up while everyone else has already wrapped up for the day, you won’t be left behind.

What I have learned is that with the more practice you get at each task, the smoother things go. While I am proud that I survived that hectic Friday, I fear the Weekly Reports might’ve gone out even later that afternoon if it weren’t for the support of the marketing team.

While some days were challenging, I still made meaningful connections and good memories. Dallas’s pump-up songs always gave me the mid-day boost I needed—so much so that my parents would ask me after work, “What did Dallas play today?”

Lunchtimes were a welcome break, usually spent with the other intern, Elise Mohler, who quickly became both a friend and a valuable connection. Without those midday breaks together, I would have gotten tired of my desk pretty quickly.

Public & Stakeholder Engagement Intern: Jessica Davey

As a beef producer myself, I am passionate about advocating for Canadian beef and sharing the industry’s sustainability story.

This internship gave me the opportunity to connect that passion with hands-on experience in public engagement, communications, and relationship building. I am grateful to the PSE team for their mentorship and encouragement, and I look forward to carrying these skills and experiences forward as I continue my career in the beef industry.