Reflections from My Fourth Week at WSGA

Greetings, everyone!

Shelby Sinclair here, eager to share the highlights and reflections from my fourth week as the 2024 WSGA Marketing and Communications Intern.

This week has been a journey of growth, filled with valuable experiences that have expanded my skills and deepened my connection with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

Unloading from Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show

I started my week off by unloading all our convention supplies from the Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show back to WSGA headquarters. It was a bit of a workout, but I got everything down into storage.

I made sure to organize things neatly, stacking boxes and sorting out what we’d need for our next event in July, the Environmental Stewardship Tour.

This way, I figured I’d save myself and Olivia the hassle later on, now I won’t have to carry everything upstairs again when it’s time to prepare for the next event! 

Diving into Designing the Environmental Stewardship invitation 

After a well-deserved lunch break (because let’s face it, lifting boxes and going up and down flights of stairs several times builds up an appetite!), I dove headfirst into another design project: designing the Environmental Stewardship Tour invitation using InDesign.

Now, if you’ve never used InDesign before, let me tell you—it’s both thrilling and frustrating at the same time. I was fueled with determination and a few YouTube tutorials, I navigated my way through the software. From selecting the right fonts to arranging graphics and tweaking layouts, every detail mattered.

By the end of the day, I had a polished invitation ready to send off for printing. I made sure to have saved several different formats of the invasion.

The first one being the paper version that needed to be half upside down so it could fold into a card invasion.

The second one being the full upright version for emailing purposes. Finally was the media version which was just a cropped version of the original two!

Dynamic Visualization of the Cattlemen’s Club Brochure

I switched over to a new design project later in the week. I was tasked with revamping the old Cattlemen’s Club brochure in hopes of making it more modern and visually appealing to our audience.

I had the old template and was trying to visualize how I wanted the new brochure to look like. I really struggled to find the direction I was wanting to take with the revamp design on InDesign, so I decided to switch to Canva which allowed me to have several different designs side by side to compare and contrast my ideas.

Canva is very versatile with how many premade designs they have to help aid the brainstorming process.  Once I made my design on Canva I was then able to work on how to implement that same design in my InDesign program.

The following day I worked from home in Laramie, I was able to utilize a friend of mine who had worked for a newspaper a few years prior who is very well versed in InDesign.

That way I was able to work on the InDesign file and ask him any questions along the way while I progressed! 

Back in the Saddle: Crafting My CowCountry Piece

My last project for the week was to begin writing my article for the CowCountry magazine summer edition. The assignment was both thrilling and demanding, as I was tasked with providing a comprehensive review of the recent Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show. This event, brought together ranchers, industry experts, and enthusiasts from across the region, showcasing the latest news and projects organizations within the cattle industry are working on. This convention also fosters invaluable networking opportunities. As I prepared to write, I reflected on the wealth of information and experiences I had gathered during the convention. My goal was to capture the essence of the event, from the insightful seminars and informative tradeshow to the spirited discussions and camaraderie among attendees. I aimed to deliver an engaging and informative piece that would not only inform readers about the highlights of the convention but also convey the vibrant atmosphere and the significance of this annual gathering for the cattle industry. 

Looking ahead

As I wrap up my fourth week as the 2024 WSGA Marketing and Communications Intern, I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment and growth. From the physical effort of loading and unloading supplies at the Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show to the creative challenges of designing invitations and brochures, this week has been a whirlwind of activity and learning. Each task, whether it was organizing, designing, or writing, contributed to honing my skills and deepening my connection with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. As I look ahead, I am excited for the upcoming events and projects, ready to tackle new challenges and continue contributing to this organization. Thank you for following along on my journey, and I look forward to sharing more insights and experiences in the weeks to come!

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Behind the Scenes: My Journey to the Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention

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WSGA Featured Member: Galen Chase & Chase Brothers LLC