Two agribusiness and food industry management students are among the 36 students from nine of North Carolina’s historically Black colleges and universities selected to participate in the North Carolina Governor’s HBCU Internship Program this summer.

The summer internships are paid, full-time positions for rising juniors or seniors who have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 and are active in student and national organizations.

Samaya Brooks, a rising senior from Pittsboro, and Leonard Jackai, a rising senior from Greensboro, will both intern with Syngenta this summer.

Jackai found out about the internship from his parents, Beatrice Dingha, Ph.D. and Louis Jackai, Ph.D., both of whom are professors in the college, and from department chair Kenrett Jefferson Moore, Ph.D. For him, the internship will be a chance to expand his business mindset.

“I love the marketing aspect of agribusiness. I am going to become a CEO of a business and try to impact the lives of others in a positive way,” he said. “I want to experience what it’s like to be in a marketing environment and soak in what I can from those who have more experience.”

For Brooks, who has been an agribusiness major since her freshman year, the internship will be an opportunity to observe the operations of a global agribusiness company.

“I am learning about supply chain and other functions in the operations. This is helping me to apply my coursework to real-life situations,” she said. “I would like to work for a global agribusiness company, helping them to improve their processes to make them more efficient and create a smoother supply chain from the company to the customer.”

The UNC System Office serves as the oversight agency for the program, with primary responsibilities for budget oversight, compliance, assessment and reporting.

“We are fortunate that North Carolina is home to so many excellent HBCUs,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “Our world-class graduates are ready to put their skills into action, contributing to a thriving economy and bolstering North Carolina’s industry. My thanks to business leaders for welcoming and developing this diverse array of talent to serve a growing state.”