I was asked to sit down and write about my summer and my first thought was, “How long do they want this?” I don’t even know where to begin describing my amazing experience this summer. I feel as if any blog post could never get across exactly how much I have learned.
My first week in the office was a in a blur of product training and learning the basics. I met every one of the great people in the office and settled in. But we didn’t stay in the office long – our third week was spent in Des Moines, IA (home sweet home) at the World Pork Expo. I can honestly say I have never been to a hog show of that magnitude. The quality was amazing and the showmanship was spectacular. Even the youngest kids could out show me any day.
We then attended our Dealer Retreat, which was an awesome experience. All of the interns and dealers got the chance to tour the feed mill, the research farm and the plant where BioZyme makes their Amaferm!
From there, we spent three weeks in Grand Island, NE, a week in College Station, TX, and our final week on the road in Tulsa, OK, dining at some great restaurants and seeing some great cattle. We also got the opportunity to meet a ton of breeders and Sure Champ enthusiasts at all of the junior nationals we attended. I can honestly say that was my favorite part about the internship. I loved interacting with all of you, getting to know your backgrounds and seeing your true passion for agriculture. The wheel always seemed to be the best place to spark conversations and get to know all of the juniors. I made many friends from all over the United States in our travels as well as getting to catch up with many old friends. I hope to see you all on the road again!
Another great perk to this internship is all of the amazing food. I believe the past interns put it best, we have a great rate of gain going for our group. One of the best places we ate at was Andolini’s in Tulsa. Anolini’s was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten but above that was their Italian butter cake, which is to die for. It was a mix of pound cake and cheesecake with tons of homemade whip cream (which Katie was quick to identify).
Above all, my internship was full of laughs and tons of fun experiences. We made many inside jokes, learned how to “whip and nae nae” as well as visit some great sites! I honestly feel like I have become apart of the Sure Champ family. They are people I know I can rely on to help me or answer any questions I may have. I’m going to miss them all so much when I leave.
For my final comments, I would like to thank everyone at BioZyme for their kindness and help throughout my internship. I would also especially like to thank Bob and Lisa Norton for opening their home to me and for being such amazing hosts. I have never met people who are so humble and just all around great people. I would also like to thank all of the Area Sales Managers who I got to hang out with at the booth and get to know. There is no doubt that they are the best out there and willing to help you. Lastly, I would like to thank Katie and Crystal for all of their guidance and support this summer. I can confidently say that I can now shoot in manual mode with great results (also shout out to Heidi Anderson for her help as well!) Katie and Crystal also taught me a lot about what a communications job entails and gave me a lot of real world assignments so I can walk away from this internship with a very strong portfolio.
I hope to see all of my amazing coworkers in the future at all of the shows. I plan to stay very active in the agriculture industry even after I graduate in December. I am looking for a job by the way as well! 😉
See you on the road!
Lauren
