January 2022 - 12

INTERN OF THE YEAR
BY TIM HODSON
nternships are designed to expand a college
student's education and provide them with realworld
experience.
It's also an opportunity for a student to make
connections with people, processes and companies
that could have a major impact on their upcoming
careers - while they are still in school.
That's what happened to Cole Bieker, a horticulture
student at Kansas State University, when he
participated in the internship program at Green Circle
Growers in Oberlin, Ohio, in the spring of 2021.
His experience at Green Circle exposed him to so
many different aspects of the horticulture industry
that " it really did feel like I got to experience multiple
internships squeezed into four months, " he says.
" At first it was intimidating but it was also exciting.
Sometimes it seemed like I was working at four
different companies because every day was so
different in each area. "
As a result of those experiences, Cole has been
named the 2022 GPN/Prospiant Intern of the Year
(formerly the GPN/Nexus Intern of the Year.)
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
Cole is currently a senior at KSU and plans to
graduate in December. Due to COVID-19, Cole opted
to do a spring internship rather than a summer
internship in 2021. " That turned out to be a really
good decision because I felt like I really got to see a
lot more as they went from the winter season into the
busy spring season, " he says.
Students participating in internship programs
A Well-Rounded
EXPERIENCE
Cole Bieker's internship at Green Circle Growers
provided him with a multifaceted education that will
last a lifetime. It also earned him the distincion of the
2022 GPN/Prospiant Intern of the Year.
12 JANUARY 2022 GPNMAG.COM
over the past two years have faced a multitude of
challenges thanks to the pandemic. After being locked
down with family and friends in Kansas, adapting
to a new environment in a new state took a little
getting used to for Cole when he moved to Ohio, but
it also gave him a chance to focus on learning about
horticulture and himself.
Before he left Kansas for Ohio, Cole developed a set
of goals that he wanted to focus on during his time
at Green Circle. The goals were divided into three
distinct categories - technical aspects/production
skills, business organization and communication.
" When looking at the communication goals, my
focus was primarily on building relationships with
coworkers, seeing new perspectives on the industry
and working on my own social skills in a work
setting, " Cole says.
" I wanted to work on connecting with the people I
was meeting and really get to know the growers I was
working with ... I put some extra intentional energy
into that. "
THE INTERNSHIP
Cole says the Green Circle internship program
is focused on giving students a well-rounded
experience and he really appreciated that. During his
Continued on page 16 ...
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January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2022

January 2022 - 1
January 2022 - 2
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/august-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2024-guide-to-cannabis-production
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/2023-guide-to-hemp-production
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/november-december-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/gpn-new-varieties-digital-guide-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/march-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/cannabisguide-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/big-grower-july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/GPN/april-2020
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