KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The American Hereford Association (AHA) is proud to welcome three dynamic interns, who will play key roles in upcoming national and international Hereford events.

Denver Drake – HPI and AHA Communications Intern

Denver Drake, Greenville, Texas, is interning with the AHA and Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) through the summer and fall. She served as an AHA youth activities intern in 2024, finding her passion and her way back to Kansas City for a second year.

            She will assist with various communications and HPI projects, including social media content creation, email marketing and preparation for the 2025 World Hereford Conference (WHC). Additionally, Drake will write stories and provide photography for the Hereford World and Baldy Advantage magazines.

            Drake is a recent graduate of Texas Tech University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and a minor in public relations and strategic communications. She completed internships for iCEV Marketing, the State Fair of Texas Livestock Show and the American Royal Livestock Show.

          “Serving as a youth activities intern for the AHA last summer provided me with endless opportunities and showed me exactly why I want to invest in this industry,” Drake says. “An internship with the AHA has been a dream of mine for years, and I feel so incredibly grateful to be back for a second time.”

Claire Norris – Youth Activities Intern

Claire Norris, Eudora, Kan., joins the Association as a youth activities intern through the summer and fall. She recently graduated from Kansas State University (K-State) with a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences and industry, with an emphasis in agricultural communications and marketing and a minor in mass communications.

            Norris was actively involved in several organizations at K-State, as a member of the Block and Bridle Club and as an ASI Mentor. Norris also gained valuable hands-on experience through internships with the American Angus Association and K-State Research and Extension. Additionally, she held leadership roles within the animal sciences and industry event planning and communications class.

          “I am excited to spend my summer immersed within the Hereford breed,” Norris says, “I’m learning from some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the cattle industry.”

           Her internship includes helping with the 26th annual VitaFerm^® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), Faces of Leadership conference, WHC and Young Breeders Competition this fall.

Kailyn Stokes – Youth Activities Intern

Kailyn Stokes, Marion, Ky., joins the AHA as a youth activities intern this summer. Her role includes assisting the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) with planning the JNHE, from coordinating contests to organizing entries. She will also collaborate with Association staff on other NJHA projects, such as the Faces of Leadership conference.

            “I am honored, grateful and blessed to be a part of Team Hereford,” Stokes says. “Our juniors are some of the best and the brightest, and I cannot wait to serve, support and encourage them ringside and beyond this summer.”

            Stokes is a junior at Oklahoma State University (OSU), where she is majoring in animal science and agricultural communications. She is an active member of Class XIV of the McKnight Scholars Leadership Program, OSU Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and the Oklahoma Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association. She also serves as an OSU campus tour guide and career liaison for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

          To learn more about the summer internship programs please visit Hereford.org — applications annually open in the fall.

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The American Hereford Association, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries — Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and American Beef Records Association (ABRA) — provides programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth and research. For press releases and photos, visit Hereford.org/media.