Recapping the 2025 Summer Internship Program: Q&A with the Interns

Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV) hosted six summer interns in the summer of 2025. We asked each of them a few questions to reflect on their time at FCV and how their internship experience will be beneficial in their future career endeavors. 

Meet the Interns

• Giovanni “Gio” Corsaro: Generalist Intern (Credit focus) based at the Roanoke branch
• Kaytlynn Hill: Generalist Intern based at the Verona Operations Center
• Nathan Pomeroy: Generalist Intern based at the Verona Operations Center
• Daniel Rutler: Information Technology (IT) Intern based at the Verona Operations Center
• Maximilian von Meister: Generalist Intern (Risk Focus) based at the Harrisonburg branch
• Madison Wheeler: Knowledge Center Intern based at the Verona Operations Center

Briefly describe the projects you worked on this summer. 

Gio: My goal for the summer was to learn to become a credit analyst by working with the credit team at FCV to help complete credit packs. I had the opportunity to work through scenarios on my own, with minimal help. 

Kaytlynn: This summer I had the opportunity to work alongside the other generalist intern, Nathan Pomeroy, on a project provided to us by the finance department. The project involved identifying historical trends in the quantity and dollar volume of wire requests for loans by month. The purpose of the project was to explore areas of the callback procedure that could be improved and made more efficient, saving the finance team time and benefiting the whole Association. 

Daniel: The main project that I worked on as the IT intern was constructing a network map of the Verona Operations Center. This required me to pinpoint every device connected to the network and figure out where in the IT room it is connected. The map I developed is valuable to FCV because the visual display of every device’s location and info about each device allows for more efficient troubleshooting in the future.

Maximilian: As an intern with a focus in risk management, I received hands-on experience working with the risk and reporting team here at FCV. During my time, I worked on a few projects, with my favorite being conducting analysis on turkey operation loans and how they affect FCV’s overall portfolio.

Madison: My main project was creating additions to the youth showbox resources provided by the Knowledge Center. My additions to the youth showbox were meat identification infographics (pictured below) and corresponding worksheets. Content includes: parts of the animal, primal cuts and retail cuts. I have been working on these resources from concept to implementation and promotion! 

What was your favorite experience during your internship?

Kaytlynn: My favorite part about my internship was shadowing the different departments and networking with FCV employees. It has been a privilege to meet with so many people and learn about their roles and responsibilities. From my shadowing experience, I have seen the passion and dedication that FCV employees have for their jobs and to their borrowers. It has been wonderful to learn how FCV serves the agricultural community and how many devoted individuals it takes to make the organization as successful as it is.

Nathan: My favorite experience was our trip to the AgFirst Farm Credit Bank in Columbia, S.C., where we learned about the Farm Credit System in depth. It was inspiring to see Farm Credit’s ability to make a nationwide impact while maintaining strong connections with local communities.

Daniel: My favorite experience was volunteering at JK Community Farm, a nonprofit farm working to alleviate hunger in the northern Virginia area. It was great to help the community, especially with other FCV employees.

Maximilian: My favorite experience was visiting and interacting with FCV’s customer-owners. Specifically, I had a fantastic experience at both Briar View Farms in Callands, Va. and Brookfield Dairy Farm in Leesburg, Va. Visiting these two farms was eye-opening and made me more interested in potentially owning my own tobacco or dairy operation someday.

Share your key takeaway(s) from your internship experience.

Kaytlynn: The biggest takeaway from my experience this summer was learning about the size and scope of the whole Farm Credit System when we traveled to AgFirst. Before the internship, I had only interacted with Farm Credit of the Virginias on a local level and assumed that the organization provided financing to farms within Virginia only. I was unaware that the Farm Credit System serves farmers and rural community members nationwide.

Nathan: I learned the importance of being an advocate for agriculture and the Farm Credit System. I have a better understanding of the complex challenges that farmers and rural communities face. I also learned the importance of culture in any organization. Through my travels across the FCV footprint, I have seen how a strong organizational culture and guiding mission unites employees and customers to create a positive environment and better results.

Maximilian: The biggest takeaway from my internship experience at FCV is how much farmers matter. I have no agriculture background and decided to apply to this internship because I wanted to learn more about the farming industry while gaining experience in the banking industry. I have learned that farmers are the backbone of the American economy. Ronnie Hucks with AgFirst shared a story in which a foreign person visited the United States on a business trip and was asked what the most impressive part of the country was, and he answered: the grocery stores. As Americans, we mostly take for granted the fact that we have fresh produce in our grocery stores year-round. This is only possible because of the agriculture industry.

How will the knowledge you gained from this internship serve you in the future?

Nathan: Coming from a non-agricultural background, this internship has exposed me to an industry I had never explored. Gaining firsthand insight into agricultural operations has broadened my perspective and will influence how I approach challenges in any field. Additionally, I gained hands-on experience with the loan process, developing a clear understanding of each stage and the roles involved in every step. In the future, I will use this experience to navigate financial services such as lending with confidence.

Daniel: My newfound experience in network mapping is a skill I can use in any IT or network administration role. I also gained insight into the agriculture finance industry and learned how IT supports rural communities and local producers

Maximilian: In terms of practical skills, I have learned so much. I have deepened my SQL programming abilities and have picked up a new programming language called R. These two languages, along with my previous Python language experience, are an important step in building a career in the financial industry.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Kaytlynn: Over the course of my internship, I was blown away by the time and effort put toward making the internship experience as educational and enjoyable as possible. We went on farm tours, had several educational training sessions and shadowed a wide variety of departments. It was wonderful to be able to meet different producers around the FCV footprint and network with so many people within the organization. I learned something new from each experience that I will be able to carry with me into my future career. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to FCV for this opportunity and to Casey Northrop, my amazing mentor!

Nathan: I strongly encourage our Association’s decision-makers to continue this amazing program; it has been an incredible experience. I am grateful to everyone who made it happen and to those who invested their time in me, whether it was by allowing me to shadow for the day, taking me on farm visits or sharing their advice and stories.

Maximilian: I want to thank everyone at FCV for being so friendly and accommodating to all of the interns this summer. This has been a very rewarding and educational experience, and I will continue to keep in touch.

Madison: FCV is invested in their interns, employees and customer-owners, and has proven that throughout my interactions and time with the Association. I am thankful to have spent my summer here!