A summer internship at the Union County Agricultural Center gave rising Parkwood High School senior Avery the opportunity to explore her interest in the textile industry beyond the classroom. Avery was a Union County 4-H Intern through the Union County Public School (UCPS) Work-Based Learning internship program. As part of her internship, she recently toured Cotton Incorporated, where she gained firsthand insight into the research, technology and career opportunities within the textile industry.
Connecting Union County Youth to Workforce Opportunities Through a Recent Trip to Cotton Incorporated
(Updated: Aug. 26, 2026, 2:48 p.m.)
During the tour, Avery visited several textile laboratories and learned about the research and testing that goes into creating and improving fabrics. She also saw how science, technology and creativity come together in the textile industry.
“One of the things I was able to experience because of my internship was a tour of Cotton Incorporated, where I had the opportunity to see several textile laboratories and learn about the research and testing that goes into creating and improving fabrics. I was able to see how science, technology, and creativity come together in the textile industry. The tour gave me a better understanding of the numerous career paths available within the field.”
Connecting the Threads
Avery’s experience is an example of how N.C. Cooperative Extension, Union County connects youth with professionals, businesses and career opportunities based on their individual interests.
4-H Agent, Crystal Starkes, is creating these connections as an intentional part of developing internship experiences.
“I believe what sets Union County Cooperative Extension's internship program development apart from others is that we intentionally create opportunities for our interns to explore a career of interest to them. Our office becomes an intentional filter to help place them in contact or in the room with those individuals that may relate more to their interest.”
Crystal said the goal is to help young people explore career interests that connect with their experiences and develop skills that can serve them in any field.
“We never assume that everyone wants to become an extension agent, but they may have an interest in something that is closely connected to us. Through 4-H, we provide them with those key life skills that will make them employable in any field, from problem-solving, time management, networking, communication, etc.”
Weaving a Path to the Future
For Avery, the internship and Cotton Incorporated tour helped strengthen her interest in pursuing a career in textiles. She plans to study Textile and Fashion Management in college.
“Overall, this internship strengthened my interest in pursuing a career in the textile industry. Because of my internship at the Union County Agricultural Center, I gained valuable insight into the industry and the people who work in it. Seeing these things firsthand confirmed that textiles is a field I am excited to continue exploring, and it made me even more confident in my decision to study Textile and Fashion Management in college.”
Crystal sees that confidence and clarity as an important part of providing young people with meaningful career experiences.
“4-H is all about developing productive citizens, and I believe a heavy part of that is to make sure they are confident in their career decisions. Therefore, by giving young people a chance to gain hands-on career exploration experiences, it gives them a sense of confidence and clarity on their goals.”
Crystal’s approach is grounded in a broader 4-H goal of helping young people grow through knowledge, exposure and experience. She draws inspiration from a quote by the first North Carolina state 4-H program leader, L.R. Harrill:
“You will leave this place a different person. We hope you will be a better person.”
“I live by that in my work through 4-H. My hope is that every young person either in the 4-H program or those who participate as an internship will glean from the knowledge, exposure, and experience, and leave a better person for wherever life takes them next.”
Opening Doors to Careers
Avery’s experience reflects the broader workforce-development work of N.C. Cooperative Extension, Union County. By connecting youth with professionals, businesses and career experiences, Extension helps young people explore their interests while developing skills that can serve them in their future careers.
Through this internship, Avery was provided an opportunity to explore a field she is excited to pursue and gain a clearer sense of what that future could look like. Her experience at Cotton Incorporated demonstrates how intentional career connections can help young people turn their interests into meaningful opportunities.
N.C. Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy or related conditions; age; disability; genetic information; religion; veteran’s status or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
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