As a new intern at Monsanto, I have enjoyed meeting and working with people who share my passion for agriculture.I grew up on five acres of rich, black, Central Illinois soil, where you can see corn and soybeans stretch to the horizon. Our large, family-owned pork farm sits just a half mile up the road from our house, where my dad manages a 7,000-head operation with seven employees. In high school and during holidays home from college, I worked at the farm and helped care for the sows and newborn piglets, and kept breeding and genetics records. During this time, my dad was instrumental in teaching me about agriculture production and practices. And I became fascinated with the business.
Since we already had 7,000 pigs to work with and learn about, my little sister and I decided to show market lambs through 4-H, to diversify our livestock experience. Each winter, we traveled with Dad to pick out our show lambs. We worked through the spring to train them, and develop a nutrition and exercise program. During the summer and fall, we traveled around the state showing our lambs. This experience reinforced hard work, responsibility, persistence and gave us many, wonderful family memories. After 10 years of showing, our hard work paid off when my sister, Lynsie, won Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Illinois State Fair!
In high school, I was active in FFA and took every opportunity to speak competitively about agriculture issues like concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).
My mom was also an incredible asset to my understanding of agribusiness. As the director of commercial/agribusiness at a national insurance company, she taught me the importance of networking, strong writing and public speaking skills, and being well-read on agriculture topics. All of these experiences played into my passion for the agriculture industry.
In 2006, my life-long dream of attending the University of Illinois became a reality. I chose to major in agricultural communications with the aspiration of redefining agriculture. I want to help consumers understand the scope of the industry and create a proactive view of agriculture through marketing, communications and public relations.
Prior to beginning my internship with Monsanto, I spent two weeks overseas gaining a European perspective of agribusiness and the supply chain through the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP). This Monsanto-sponsored program was designed to give the top students in agriculture and business at the University of Illinois an opportunity to explore globalization of the agriculture and food industry--both in the classroom and through an international experience. I chose to apply for IBIP because I wanted to develop a more well-rounded understanding of the agriculture industry. I wanted to challenge myself to read case studies and to learn about ag policy and international trade.
This spring, I spent time each week learning about the European Union, ag policy and globalization of the agriculture industry from our professor and a variety of guest lecturers. In addition to class time, we visited Monsanto and Bunge in St. Louis, ADM in Decatur and the SUPERVALU distribution center in Urbana. The Saturday following finals week, 25 students and I packed our bags and boarded a bus to Chicago, Illinois. Seventeen hours, two flights, two bus rides and one walk up a winding cobblestone street later, we arrived at our first destination in Leuven, Belgium.
After two weeks of traveling, visiting ag companies and networking with incredible people, I can tell you that IBIP was the experience of a lifetime. The program enhanced my academic development through interactions in a foreign environment with an array of professionals from unique agriculture sectors. And the definition of agriculture is not limited to farming. We visited diverse farms, production facilities, corporate offices, NGOs, retailers and restaurants--all directly related to agriculture.
IBIP has helped to mold my definition of agriculture through diverse perspectives and global experiences. Over the next several weeks, I will have a series of blog posts featuring some of the highlights and surprises from my trip, leading up to my take-away messages, including how IBIP provided clarity and direction for my career goals in agricultural communications. Stay tuned!
