UNIQUE Opportunities by Terri Leith
CALS Advancement
Warren Fellows’ summer internships are part of a firstof-its-kind undergraduate agriculture program.
Gail and Joe Dunn (seated), benefactors of the Adolph Warren Leadership Program Fund and Endowment, and their daughter Bailey Dunn (center) meet with the inaugural class of Warren Leadership and Public Policy Fellows: From left are Becky Zhong, Deans Eatman, Caroline Clement, Anne Link, Grayer Sherrill, Lynde Ring and Clayton Dellinger.
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ast spring, when the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences hosted its annual donor appreciation event, Grayer Sherrill, NC State University senior in agricultural business management from Newport, came to the podium representing the inaugural class of Adolph Warren Leadership and Public Policy Fellows. He thanked Joe and Gail Dunn for funding the program in honor of Gail Dunn’s father, long-time Sampson County agriculture teacher Adolph Warren. Through FFA activities, Sherrill had heard of Warren, whom he described as “a true hero of agricultural education in North Carolina.” So when he heard about the fellowship program, he said, “I knew it was something I had to get involved in. It’s been a true blessing.” Also there to share that sentiment were the six other inaugural Warren Leadership and Public Policy Fellows, all now CALS seniors: Caroline Clement, agricultural science, Spivey’s Corner; Clayton Dellinger, agricultural science, Iron Station; Deans Eatman, agricultural science, Roanoke Rapids; Anne Link, animal science, Charlotte; Lynde Ring, food
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science, Warrensville; and Becky Zhong, plant and soil sciences, Chapel Hill. By this fall semester at NC State University, the seven had even more to thank their benefactors for: true leadership experience. The Warren Fellows each took part in a summer public policy internship with public officials in the state. The one-year Warren Fellows Program, for CALS sophomore, junior and senior students, is designed to develop the students in the areas of personal leadership, organizational leadership and public policy. Dr. Marshall Stewart, CALS director of College Leadership and Strategy, worked with the Dunns to create the program. “The Warren Leadership Program is one of a kind in the country, as it prepares students in agriculture majors who have an interest in public policy with enrichment experiences throughout the year and a privately funded summer internship experience,” he said. “There hasn’t been a pipeline or on-ramp to prepare students for public policy work in food and
agriculture in the past. This is a remarkable opportunity for our students.” And the summer internship is a key component of that preparation. Clement, who is from the same community as Adolph Warren – and “always looked up to him while growing up,” she said – interned at the N.C. General Assembly in the House of Representatives with Rep. J.H. Langdon from Johnston County. “I attended sessions, committee meetings and other functions with him to learn the legislative process and meet many people,” she recalled. “I also read a lot of legislation to learn about different things going on in the state. The biggest project to tackle was obviously the budget.” Among her memorable experiences was working on the Farm Act of North Carolina, she said. “I also enjoyed meeting representatives from all over the state and forming relationships with them, as well.” Clement hopes to work in communications within the agriculture industry. Lynde Ring’s internship involved working with the N.C. Department of Agriculture
