MSU students gain hands-on agricultural industry experience through Helena internships

Contact: Kaitlyn Church

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Five Mississippi State University students are spending their summer gaining real-world agricultural experience through internships with Helena Agri-Enterprises, a leading international provider of crop inputs and agronomic services.

This year’s students are working across the South as part of Helena’s selective, experience-driven internship program. Designed to develop future leaders in the agricultural industry, the program prioritizes quality over quantity, offering these students exposure to the daily operations of the company’s retail branches.

Current MSU student interns from the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, include:

—Brennan Cherene, agricultural science senior from Delhi, Louisiana, working in El Reno, Oklahoma.

—Mayes Prescott, agronomy junior from Myrtle, working in the East Bernard, Texas, location.

—Cole Senn, agricultural science senior from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, working at the Bruce branch.

—Cobby Ware, agricultural engineering junior from Madison, working in the Yazoo City branch.

—John Warfield, agronomy junior from Lake Village, Arkansas, working in Lamesa, Texas.

“Each summer, we bring in a small group of students who want to get their boots dirty and learn the full spectrum of our business—from warehouse operations to grower interactions,” said Michael Kenty, Helena Southern Business Unit product specialist. “MSU students have consistently stood out. They’re engaged with the work, ask the right questions and come prepared to work.”

Kenty manages the program alongside Madison Anderson, intern program coordinator, and Shane Powers, Southern Business Unit agronomist. Anderson oversees coordination efforts, while Kenty and Powers provide product and agronomic training throughout the summer.

Now in its ninth year, the program has steadily grown from a small, regional effort into a multidivision, national initiative. Helena’s Southern Business Unit—spanning locations from Texas to Tennessee—has modeled its approach in part on its collaboration with MSU, where partnerships between faculty and company researchers have been ongoing since the early 2000s.

Interns are immersed in day-to-day operations: collecting soil samples, shadowing custom applicators, conducting inventory audits and even participating in Helena’s business-challenge projects—real-world assignments including making fertilizer recommendations based on current commodity prices and product costs, inventory counts and riding with sales representatives on sales calls.

“They’re not just learning—they’re contributing,” Kenty said. “We’ve had interns whose final presentations and summer projects directly impacted our company’s future sales strategies.”

Prescott said the experience has been especially eye-opening as someone who came into agriculture without a farming background.

“When I first interviewed for the internship, I explained that I didn’t grow up on a farm. My agricultural knowledge has been from my degree program. I expected to be dismissed immediately. Instead, they encouraged me,” Prescott said. “Helena’s people-first culture has been incredible. From the first day, people I’d never met were pouring their knowledge into me and answering every question I had. I’ve truly learned something new every single day.”

Kenty noted approximately 40% of interns transition into full-time Helena employees, and many remain in the industry long term. For students, the experience offers more than a resume boost—it provides direction, confidence and a professional network.

Harris Nicholson, a 2023 MSU agribusiness graduate and former three-time Helena intern from Madison who now is employed at the company’s Clarkton, Missouri, location, said the experiences played a pivotal role in launching his career.

“The Helena internships allowed me to learn alongside great salesmen, managers, consultants and product specialists, and I was exposed to great tasks and challenges that helped better my career,” Nicholson said. “I made great connections that helped me gain a full-time position the moment I graduated. I would recommend this internship to any students interested in agriculture.”

Kenty said Nicholson’s story is just one of many.

“Some of our best interns have come from Mississippi State, and it’s no surprise. The programs in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences produce sharp, well-rounded students who are ready to hit the ground running,” he said.

For more information about internship opportunities with Helena Agri-Enterprises, contact Anderson at andersonm@helenaagri.com or Kenty at kentym@helenaagri.com.

For more information about the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.cals.msstate.edu.

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