It’s hard to imagine the path my college career has taken me. Three years ago I began college as an Economics major, two years ago I transferred into ACE, one year ago I was completing a three-month internship in South Africa, and now I find myself a senior preparing for jobs after graduation.

While I’ve had many unique opportunities as an ACE major, my study abroad experience in South Africa had one of the biggest impacts on my academic interests and professional goals. The program was ran through the campus study abroad office in coordination with ACES Study Abroad. What made the program stand out for me was my three-month internship with Crown National, a large spice and food ingredients supplier based in South Africa. 

As part of my rotational internship, I got to see all parts of the operation from spice milling to sales, even seeing our customers – small butcheries, grocery stores, and meat processors – use the company’s ingredients in their own food products. For me, it was an amazing introduction to the food industry. Because of the nature of my internship, I’ve since been able to narrow my interests toward a career in finance, commodities, or procurement. This is just one of the many worthwhile experiences I’ve had as an ACE major that have helped to prepare me for a future career in agribusiness.