Texas Tech University

Texas Girl Meets Big City Opportunity

Brooke Swaffield | September 25, 2024

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Rylee Dodson traded in her boots for heels this past summer as a congressional intern in Washington, D.C. The senior agricultural economics major from Weatherford, Texas, was one of the few students who was selected to intern on Capitol Hill. One could say it is a huge culture shock after spending most summers on a Texas ranch.

Dodson grew up in Sabinal, but now calls Weatherford, Texas home. These experiences allowed her to be exposed to many areas within the agricultural industry.

“I grew up on a ranch in south Texas,” Dodson said. “It was a low fenced hunting ranch. We sold whitetail deer, quail, and dove hunts. I also showed livestock throughout high school and junior high and was also very big in the horse show world. Once I got to high school I strictly just rodeoed.”

Dodson said she broke the mold being the first Red Raider in her Aggie family. She chose to come to Texas Tech because of the endless possibilities. She said she also always felt welcomed every time she stepped foot on campus.

“I felt like they (Texas Tech) had a lot of opportunities to offer that were more personalized,” Dodson said.

She said that she did not have much interest in politics until she discovered the congressional internship opportunities through Professor Ron Phillips Ag Law class. The internship is offered through both the University level and through the Davis College. Dodson secured the university internship.

“It gave me such a new perspective,” Dodson said. “I was never super motivated by politics. I saw it as more of a way to grow personally and professionally.”

Dodson said she was challenged with many new tasks while working for Congressman Jodey Arrington as a communications intern during her time in D.C.

“I worked closely with the press secretary and the comms director on creating content and writing scripts as well as watching social media,” Dodson said. “We also gave capitol tours which was a fun part of the job.”

Dodson walked many miles in heels, but credits her agricultural background for the drive it has instilled in her.

“Coming from an ag and ranching background just taught me how to be able to put my head down and work and be able to handle whatever is thrown at me,” Dodson said. “I was placed in situations where I necessarily didn’t know what to do, but I’ve been taught to give it my best shot first, then ask for feedback later.”

After completing the congressional internship through the university, Dodson said that not only did the experience open her eyes but also opened many doors. She credits Davis College for that.

“The Davis College really pushes that opportunity,” Dodson said. “They are always wanting to support us students and help us find our way after we complete something like that.”

The internship itself is a great opportunity to grow as a student. For Dodson, she said it was more of a chance to expand her networks.

“The connections that you make through an internship like that are absolutely priceless,” Dodson said. “I was blessed to be able to make a lot of good connections, and even just people down the road to just ask a question or concern on any sort of matter. That internship really opened my eyes to maybe some other things that I didn’t really consider as options for a future career.”

CONTACT: Linay Williams, Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or linay.williams@ttu.edu

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