Thank you, Targeting Excellence Sponsors, Board, and Committees for your support in furthering my education so some day I can, like many of you, further the food animal industry and promote agriculture.
Growing up, my grandparents had a small butcher shop that they ran during deer season. They also owned a few beef cattle at a time for about a decade. Being an Animal Science major, Business Option, I have seen many different aspects of the animal agricultural industry from a learning perspective. Because of that, and my grandparents’ lifestyle, I was led to the career I am in the process of pursuing.
I have found that I would like to pursue a career in the meats/proteins industry. This summer, I have an internship at Cargill in Dayton, VA, where I’ll be an Operations Intern. I applied for this position hoping that I would gain a better understanding of a different part of an industry I haven’t been around very much. I’m also hoping to ensure that this is the career path I want to spend at least the next several years pursuing. If it does work the way I’m hoping, I would like to end up at either Cargill in Hazleton or Wyalusing PA. Both are within driving distance of home, and will allow me to own a farm of my own as well.
In addition to my potential career with Cargill, I would also like to raise a small beef herd and a few horses at home. I’ve always had a passion for raising livestock, and I used to help my grandparents as much as I could as a kid. That hasn’t changed; I’ve also spent time working with cattle on the Penn State Dairy and as a barn hand at Centre Stables since starting at Penn State. Because of this, I know how much work it takes to keep an operation going even though I didn’t necessarily grow up on a farm.
With these career goals, I would see both ends of the food animal production. I would be raising the cattle, and I would be converting the farmers hard work into case ready products— two very important parts of the industry.
Targeting Excellence
3450 Dockside Shores Dr
Gainesville, GA 30506
For questions please call:
Rachel Virden 678-448-2368