Department of Agriculture students attend the 2022 International & Production Processing Expo in Atlanta
Several agriculture students from Alcorn State University showcased their abilities during a recent conference geared toward job recruitment and career building.
Nearly 20 students from Alcorn’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences participated in the 2022 International & Production Processing Expo Jan. 25-27 in Atlanta. The event connects talented students seeking career opportunities in the poultry industry to hundreds of recruiters and professionals.
The opportunity allowed the students to explore career fields and network with established professionals. Casnacita Gray, director of Student Services for the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, is glad that the students got the experience.
“It was important for our students to attend to gain exposure to a variety of practice settings and to begin the process of exploring professional opportunities within this area,” said Gray. “This event offers one of the largest education and interactive exhibits in the meat, poultry, and feed industries. Students interacted with representatives from all over the world, including operation and plant managers, purchasing agents, engineers, and researchers from the world’s top feed, meat processing and packing, and poultry companies.”
The students made the best of their experience, as several of them received job and internship offers during this summer. Gray expressed her pride in the students’ success.
“All of our students interviewed several times. Several of them have been offered jobs after graduation and internships this summer. One of our goals is to see our students excel and have successful experiences inside and outside the University. It is important that we expose our students to every opportunity available.”
One of the students received four job offers while at the conference. Christian Hauer, a senior agribusiness management major, received offers from JBS Pilgrims, Seafood Boards, Case Farms, and Tyson. Hauer is currently weighing his options to see which job is the best fit.
He encourages agriculture students to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their abilities at future expos.
“The event was an amazing experience,” said Hauer. “Being able to present yourself to hiring managers is the opportunity many students need to showcase their skills. It also shows employers how valuable they could be to their companies. I would recommend agriculture majors to attend in the future.”
