WT Student Named Intern of the Year After Summer Spent Wrestling Alligators

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — An alligator wrangler is West Texas A&M University’s Intern of the Year.

Audrey Adkison, a junior wildlife biology major from Mansfield, was honored for her work at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge at a Nov. 3 reception in the Natural Sciences Building on WT’s Canyon campus.

As Intern of the Year, Adkison will receive a $1,000 scholarship and will be submitted for the national Cooperative Education & Internship Association Academic Intern of the Year award.

Intern of the Year applications are reviewed by a selection committee comprised of faculty and staff representing all six Colleges.

“Audrey Adkison was selected as this year’s Intern of the Year because she exemplifies the qualities of dedication, leadership and passion that we hope to see in all our students,” said Shelby Ford, assistant director of the Office for Career and Professional Development. “Audrey is a true advocate for her major and her work. She is consistently willing to help wherever she’s needed and unafraid to take on challenging tasks.”

Photo: Audrey Adkison, a junior wildlife biology major from Mansfield, was named West Texas A&M University Intern of the Year following a summer at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge—where, among other tasks, she helped collect data on alligators.

Adkison worked as a natural resource intern at the refuge, which is home to prairies, thickets and wetlands. In addition to helping remove invasive plant species to restore the habitat to its native vegetation, Adkison also helped collect data on the wild American alligators in the area.

“On my third day, I had to, with help, drag a 9-foot and almost 200-pound angry male alligator out of the swamp and sit on his head while data was collected and an identification chip was inserted into him,” Adkison wrote in her application letter.

Adkison credited her professors for offering valuable lessons in class and hoped the award would draw attention to her department.

“I feel like people don't really notice the wildlife majors as much, but I hope this brings recognition to us because I think we're pretty awesome,” Adkison said. “This is what we love what we do and we have a passion for it, so I’m really glad that I can use the passion that I have to show everybody else what we do.”

An Attebury Honors student, Adkison also serves as president of WT’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society.

“Audrey exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated, engaged and self-motivated student,” wrote Dr. Joshua Brown, assistant professor of biology in the Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , in a nomination letter. “During her recent internship, Audrey cultivated an impressive variety of field-based skills … (that) clearly reflect her eagerness to learn, and they have given her a strong foundation in the applied skills of wildlife biology.”

Adkison was invaluable at the refuge, said Jared Hall, natural resource supervisor.

“Throughout the internship, Audrey distinguished herself as a highly motivated and reliable team member,” Hall wrote in a nomination letter. “She contributed significantly to invasive species management … (and) also participated in various wildlife management and research projects, including wild hog eradication, alligator mark-recapture and white-tailed deer spotlight surveys.”

In addition to Adkison, 11 other WT students were nominated for Intern of the Year:

• Caitlynne Budd, a senior agriculture major from Pampa, who worked at Randall County AgriLife Extension Services;
• Montana Goodman, a senior agribusiness major from Fort Morgan, Colorado, who worked for Friona Industries;
• Tori Harris, a junior electrical engineering major from Dumas, who worked for the Valero McKee refinery
• Kassadee Lym, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Fort Bridger, Wyoming, who worked for Philanthropy Roundtable;
• Alair Posard, a junior general studies major from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, who interned for Michels Power Inc.;
• Isaiah Rocha, a senior civil engineering major from Amarillo, who worked at the Texas Department of Transportation;
• Stacy Saenz, a senior animal science major from Lubbock, who worked for Texas Tech Animal and Food Sciences;
• Lacey Schmidt, a senior agribusiness major from Deshler, Nebraska, who worked for Bunge;
• Ryan Stricker, a senior animal science / pre-vet major from Magnolia, who worked at Overton Veterinary Services;
• Alison Sweeney, a senior political science major from Klein, who interned Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas); and
• Spencer Walahoski, a senior animal science major from Overton, Nebraska, who worked for Tyson Foods.

Caitlynne Budd

Montana Goodman

Tori Harris

Kassadee Lym

Alair Posard

Isaiah Rocha

Stacy Saenz

Lacey Schmidt

Ryan Stricker

Alison Sweeney

Spencer Walahoski

WT’s commitment to successful, resourceful students is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic  One West  comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Top Photo: Audrey Adkison, a junior wildlife biology major from Mansfield, was named West Texas A&M University's Intern of the Year at a Nov. 3 reception, recognizing her work at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge over the summer.

—WT—