Gale Cunningham (WYXY, CHAMPAIGN, IL) mentored two NAFB Foundation 2017 student intern grant recipients, Kade Hill, left, and Bethany Boose. Kade Hill, WYXY (Champaign, IL) intern 
said, “It goes without saying that my decision to pursue a career in agriculture is a first for my family. Kade is from Paxton, IL, and he graduated from Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School in 2015, and is a sophomore at the University of Illinois majoring in agriculture education. “While I did not grow up in an agriculture setting, nor with an agriculture background, I am still very passionate about agriculture. My connection to agriculture came from my decision to take an agriculture class in high school. Soon to follow came my decision to join the Paxton-Buckley-Loda FFA Chapter. I took agriculture classes through the duration of my high school career, and I was heavily involved in the National FFA Organization.” His involvement in the National FFA Organization presented him with an opportunity to grow his knowledge and experience in the agriculture industry. “It pushed me to pursue higher goals based on a core value of service. While my involvement in the National FFA Organization continues as a current candidate for National FFA President, I strive to find other avenues to immerse myself in the agriculture industry such as my internship as a farm broadcaster with WYXY Classic 99.1.” He said, “My decision to pursue a degree in agriculture education and a career as a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor was, and still is, greatly influenced by my high school agriculture teachers and my experiences in the National FFA Organization.” He credits his teachers with a great impact on him. “It is my goal to create a similar impact on my students through serving as a teacher and advisor.” Kade concludes, “I am very thankful for the opportunity to intern with WYXY Classic 99.1 this summer as a farm broadcasting intern. This internship has, and continues to, present me with experiences to learn about the agriculture industry. As an agriculture teacher, it is my goal to use the skills learned through this internship to teach my students about agriculture.
WYXY (Champaign, IL) Farm Broadcaster Intern Bethany Boose, left, grew up just outside Georgetown, IL, showing hogs and cattle. “I have been involved in the show pig industry for as long as I can remember and became active in the show cattle industry around the age of eight when my uncle introduced me to his passion.” She added, “My family focuses on mainly the Yorkshire, Duroc, and Berkshire breeds, however, we have had every breed in the barn at some point. I have always shown primarily Shorthorn heifers with an Angus heifer in the mix on occasion.” Bethany graduated from Georgetown - Ridge Farm High School in 2015. During high school, she was very active in her FFA Chapter and Section. “During my Junior year, I served as the Section 18 Treasurer and during my senior year I served as our Chapter’s President and Section 18 Vice President.” During her four years in FFA, Bethany participated in many Career Development Events (CDE's) and Community Service Projects. In June 2015, she received her State Degree. In 2016, she finished her 4-H term as a 10-year member. During her 4-H years, she held many different offices within the club and the 4-H Federation. Bethany is now a student at Lake Land College in Mattoon, IL, studying agricultural business. In the spring of 2018, she plans to transfer to Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. “Growing up, I always listened to WYXY Classic 99.1 in the truck with my dad and when I got my own vehicle 99.1 was always one of my preset stations. Growing up showing hogs and cattle, I was always at several different county, state, and national shows. Gale Cunningham was at every county fair I attended. I did my first interview with him at my home fair in Georgetown when I was only eight years old. Since that interview, Gale and I have done several more interviews at different fairs and FFA events.” Last summer, Bethany started to realize her 2017 summer would be quite different as she would no longer be eligible to show in the Junior shows at county fairs. “In August at my home fair, I asked Gale what process I needed to go through to be an intern for the summer of 2017. He told me all about the process and the details of this internship. In December, I contacted Gale to set up an interview that would be much different from any other interview Gale had done with me.” After the interview, she was informed her and Kade Hill had been chosen as the summer interns for WYXY Classic 99.1. Kade, Bethany, Gale and the entire WYXY Classic Broadcast team extend a sincere thank you to DuPont Pioneer for their support of the NAFB Foundation Internship Grant Program.
