BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – May 23, 2022 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is welcoming three collegiate interns to our team this summer, serving the organization in the areas of accounting, communications, and meetings and events. The goal of the ISA internship program is to invest in future agricultural professionals, enabling them to gain valuable experiences and insights about Illinois’ agriculture industry.

“Each of these individuals is bringing high-level abilities and knowledge to our organization this summer,” says Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) CEO, John Lumpe. “The future is bright with this young talent, and we’re looking forward to helping them grow in their knowledge and skillsets through our internships.”

Lexi Hoffman – Meetings and Events

Lexi Hoffman is the meeting and events intern for the summer. Hoffman is from Minier, IL., and is currently a second-year student at Blackburn College, where she is pursuing a degree in business with an emphasis in marketing and a minor in communications. She is the recipient of the Work College Consortium Experiential Learning Grant, which has allowed her to engage in research on identifying bat species. In her studies, Hoffman is focusing on increasing her marketing skills across a variety of different platforms while also furthering her understanding of conservation communications. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she intends to apply to graduate school to further her knowledge of communications and progress toward a career in higher education.

Olivia Key – Communications

Olivia Key is the communications intern for the Illinois Soybean Association. Originally from Arcola, IL., Key is currently studying agriculture communications and leadership with a minor in business analytics at Illinois State University. She is the current president of the Sigma Alpha-Beta Xi chapter and also serves as Professional Development chair of the Association for Women in Communications.

Madison Thomas – Accounting

Madison Thomas is the accounting intern for the Illinois Soybean Association. Originally from Mt. Pulaski, IL., she will be a senior at Illinois State University studying agricultural business management. Before this internship, Thomas worked at a local grain elevator. Thomas values agriculture as a very important part of her life, having raised pigs and goats on her family farm for FFA projects.

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.

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