Interning in the industry: seeing the scope of a breeding program

This past summer I was honored to serve as a Canola Breeding and Research Intern with Cargill. I was lucky enough to still be able to work in person, knowing many other students had to go remote due to this current pandemic. I was based in Great Falls, Montana. My role as an intern was to collect and analyze data during the growing season. I walked fields with my boss, taking notes on what varieties could move forward in the breeding pipeline, and which needed more R & D work. There were specific traits we selected for, and then harvest material needed to get sent to the lab to do further analysis there before final selections were made. I was able to see a new growing environment and work with a new crop species. Seeing how a breeding program operates first hand was very beneficial for me when solidifying my career intentions. Although I may not want to work with canola as a professional career, seeing the steps in an industry breeding program was a helpful perspective to me. Most programs operate the same way and take similar steps to achieve variety development. Having an internship during a pandemic was a trying time, but I am very thankful for my experience, and it was one of the most beneficial and impactful summers I could have had. I also was able to do a lot of activities on the weekends when I did not work! There are beautiful landscapes in Montana, and I was fortunate to do a lot of hiking and exploring all summer long.