IL Corn Welcomes New Interns

June 22, 2020

IL Corn welcomes three interns to our team this summer. Two interns work in the communication department and the third works on membership and legislative priorities. They join us originally from different parts of our state. One of our goals of the internship program is to invest in future leaders of the Illinois agriculture industry. We look forward to the upcoming months and having them join our staff while providing education opportunities which they will take with them into their careers.

A woman is standing in front of a wooden wall filled with corn.

Keegan Cassady

Keegan Cassady is serving as the Legislative Intern for IL Corn this summer. Keegan recently graduated from Oklahoma State University her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a concentration in Agribusiness. The Bloomington native grew up raising and showing Angus cattle across the country. She went on to serve as Miss American Angus and is currently on the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors. During her time at Oklahoma State University she served as president of both Block and Bridle and Sigma Alpha, a professional, agricultural sorority.

Before joining the IL Corn team, Keegan interned in Washington, D.C. with the National Beef Association and the Public Lands Council. This fall, she will start law school at Drake University in Des Moines, IA focusing on agricultural law and policy.

Alexa Vincent

Alexa Vincent is a Communications Intern for IL Corn. She attends Eastern Illinois University where she will be graduating this December with a major in interpersonal communications and a minor in 2D studio art. She hopes to pair the two together to get into the promotional communications field someday, so this internship is the perfect match for her. At Eastern she works for 88.9 WEIU and helps with the campus’s Mindfulness Club.

When she is not living in Charleston for school, she resides in Bloomington. While she may not have the agriculture background that most here do, she is eagerly learning and looking forward to putting that knowledge into the new displays she will design. She looks forward to meeting more of the agriculture industry and diving deeper into all the great projects we have planned.

A woman in a pink cardigan is smiling in front of a wall of corn
A woman is smiling in front of a wall of corn on the cob

Katie Smith 

Katie Smith is a Communications Intern for IL Corn. Some of her main tasks this summer include designing new displays for events, creating a social media plan, and putting together videos for promotional efforts. She is most excited to gain more experience using various design programs as well as learn how IL Corn effectively tailors their message to reach their audiences.

Katie is from Walnut, IL and will be a senior this fall at Illinois State University where she is majoring in Agriculture Communications and Animal Industry Management. She is involved in Ag Ambassadors, Hoof N’ Horn, and Farm Bureau.  

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More