Reflections from my Fifth Week at WSGA
Greetings, everyone! Shelby Sinclair here again, and i’m excited to share the highlights and reflections from my fifth week as the 2024 WSGA Marketing and Communications Intern. This past week has been a whirlwind of productivity and learning, filled with diverse tasks that have furthered my skills and deepened my connection with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.
Reflecting on Remote Work and Proofreading
On June 17th, I worked remotely from Laramie, WY, dedicating the day to finalizing my articles for CowCountry. After proofreading them, I sent them off to Olivia for another round of proofing. I then turned my attention to my blog posts, reviewing and polishing them before sending them out for proofing as well. It was a meticulous process aimed at ensuring clarity and accuracy in my written work. In between, I made significant progress on the InDesign brochure for the Cattlemen’s Club, a task that finally boosted my confidence with the InDesign software. Once completed, I sent it over to Olivia for further review. Later, I dove into the CowCountry InDesign file and acquainted myself with their design setup so I would be prepared when we began placing articles and photos in the summer CowCountry Magazine. After I transitioned to WordPress, I spent time making my blog post visually enticing with pictures and uploads of my finished projects. I also utilized Canva’s theme options to craft blog flyers to post on WSGA’s social media. I concluded my day by starting to design the flier insert slip for the Cattlemen’s Club brochure, I made sure that I designed it to attract new members—an exciting addition to my portfolio of completed tasks.
Designing Inserts and Finalizing Projects
The following day, June 18th, was dedicated to further enhancing the Cattlemen’s Club brochure. I focused on finishing the design of the brochure insert slip to be able to seamlessly fit inside the brochure, ensuring it was both efficient and aesthetically pleasing. I then printed them on gray cardstock and cut them out. I prepared them for when the brochures were printed and ready to be fully assembled. With the brochure nearing completion, I sought approval from my supervisor and we promptly sent it to a local print shop for production. I then curated Instagram squares to complement my weekly blog, I aligned the visual content with the themes explored in my posts. Adding edited photos to enrich the narrative, I shared my first blog post on the Real Ranchers website, followed by posting my Canva square across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to maximize outreach. My last task of the day was to read through past issues of CowCountry, I marked relevant information for the Cattlemen’s Club website and read articles by previous WSGA interns, gaining insights into convention summaries.
Website Updates and Article Drafting
June 19th marked a day of website updates as I incorporated historical insights into the WSGA website, diligently navigating technical challenges to ensure accurate content presentation. Despite setbacks, including multiple page deletions, I persevered and successfully completed the updates, obtaining approval from my supervisor for publication. The remainder of the day was devoted to crafting a comprehensive summary article for CowCountry, detailing the highlights and significance of the 2024 Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show.
Brochure Distribution and Membership Management
On June 20th, I went on a brief stroll down the street from the WSGA office to pickup the freshly printed Cattlemen’s Club brochures and policy books. With the brochures prepped for membership inserts, I spent the morning adding inserts to each brochure, ensuring every piece was ready for distribution. Handing them over to Jim Magagna, the office manager, and Olivia for distribution and placing extras in the office’s front walkway. The remainder of the day was dedicated to managing WSGA membership mail, ensuring timely and efficient handling of organizational correspondence.
Brochure Distribution and Membership Management
On June 20th, I went on a brief stroll down the street from the WSGA office to pickup the freshly printed Cattlemen’s Club brochures and policy books. With the brochures prepped for membership inserts, I spent the morning adding inserts to each brochure, ensuring every piece was ready for distribution. Handing them over to Jim Magagna, the office manager, and Olivia for distribution and placing extras in the office’s front walkway. The remainder of the day was dedicated to managing WSGA membership mail, ensuring timely and efficient handling of organizational correspondence.
On the left is the new and improved brochure, on the right is the old brochure!
Rancher Outreach and Blog Reflection
June 21st I worked on my outreach to ranches identified by my supervisor, I initiated efforts to schedule interviews and arrange photography sessions for an upcoming CowCountry feature. This involved detailed communication to coordinate logistics and capture compelling visuals of their herds.
Once I finished contacting ranches for ranch visits I shifted my energy and I drafted my week 3 blog post, reflecting on recent internship experiences and insights gained, providing readers with a firsthand account of my journey.
Additionally, I expanded my skills by managing incoming calls during staff lunch breaks, gaining insights into operational dynamics and contributing to organizational efficiency.
I drew out my route when I first was assigned with the task if reaching out to WSGA members for ranch visits, who would be on my route to Star valley, WY. It was a good way for my to visualize my route and what roads I would be traveling! I will be making a big loop around the southwestern region of Wyoming, near the Idaho border.
Looking ahead
As I wrap up another dynamic week at WSGA, I’m eagerly anticipating the challenges and opportunities that await in the weeks ahead. Each task I tackled this week—from refining articles and blog posts for CowCountry to mastering InDesign for the Cattlemen’s Club brochure—has been instrumental in sharpening my skills and deepening my dedication to making a real impact in the livestock industry. Your continued support means a lot, and I’m excited to share more of my journey with you in the upcoming updates. Stay tuned for what’s next!
