Hometown/State: Huxley, IA
Company/Organization: Corteva Agriscience
Title: Crop Protection Marketing Intern
Location: Johnston, IA
Describe your internship responsibilities:
I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects throughout the summer of 2020. The first half of my internship seemingly brought a new adventure every day, as the month of June was a high-paced blur of meetings introducing projects, working on the projects throughout the day (most projects were very phone-call based, allowing me the opportunity to connect with over 1,000 growers and 100+ retailers over varied topics), and 3-4 networking opportunities within the company per week!
The second half settled into more of a routine as I headed out to an Enlist Tech Demo, in York, NE. I was responsible for daily set-up and tear down of the show plots, as well as aided in giving education tours to over 400 Corteva Crop Protection Customers, informing them on the exciting, new Enlist Weed Control System!
What did you enjoy most about this internship?
I greatly enjoyed the culture at Corteva, how supportive everyone I've met within the company is, the opportunity to play a part in living out our company purpose of "Enriching the lives of those who produce and consume, ensuring progress for generations to come," and the ability to take initiative within a variety of projects. By the end of the summer between the amount of responsibility I’d been given, and the relationships formed within the company, it felt as if I was a full-time employee, which was awesome.
How has this experience impacted your future career plans?
One of my biggest goals was to gain a clearer picture as to what side of agriculture, and which role within industry I would like to forge a career in. This summer confirmed for me that I thoroughly enjoy the crop-side of agriculture. As I like making things grow, and am equally excited about killing weeds. Furthermore, walking into this summer I still believed pretty strongly that I would like to go to law school. Following the great experience I had this summer, now I’m not so sure, as I greatly enjoy the commercial side of things: marketing and sales. So now I have two more summers and a possible LSAT to give further guidance!
What resources did you utilize to obtain this internship?
• Ag Bus Club, and all the other great student orgs for providing great opportunities to refine my leadership and communication skills
• Mike Gaul and the career service office for the help on the resume and aiding me in feeling comfortable in advance of career fair.
• Alpha Gamma Rho for the additional resume review, elevator pitch practice, professional development, etc.
• The Ag Bus Department’s Econ 110 class, specifically my mentors Emma Kehrli and Jack Hubble, for the mock interview, and finishing touches on career fair preparation. Which rolls nicely into part two:
What advice would you offer to other students seeking similar internships?
Do well in school, get involved in clubs, PREPARE for career fair, and bring a confident attitude with you into Career Fair!