Last year, six top-performing students from Texas A&M University attended the Viva Fresh Expo through a scholarship from the Aggies for Fresh campaign. This year, in partnership with Texas International Produce Association (TIPA), Aggies for Fresh has expanded the scholarship to ten talented Aggies that will be present throughout the Viva Fresh Expo in Austin.
The ten students who will be walking the show floor applied for the scholarship through the Aggies for Fresh campaign and were hand selected by Dan’l Mackey Almy ’94. With seven graduating seniors looking for full-time employment and three seeking summer internships, these Aggies are eager to take their education and passion to the next level by exploring career opportunities in fresh produce – they are our industry’s future super stars!
Two of the graduates who attended Viva Fresh last year have found careers within the fresh produce industry since the expo. After these successful placements, we were even more encouraged that the Aggies for Fresh campaign could be another valuable solution in our industry’s efforts to attract top talent.
New this year, there will be an Aggies for Fresh reception held Friday night, 4 pm – 5 pm at the Hilton Hotel, and is sponsored by DMA Solutions, Lone Star Citrus Growers, Texas Farm Credit, Tex Mex Sales, Triple H and Wonderful Citrus. The reception is open to all attendees for an opportunity to meet with the students one-on-one before the show on Saturday.
Introducing the 2017 Aggies For Fresh
Here’s an introduction to the students who will be walking the show floor with the DMA team at Viva Fresh:
Anna Dement
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Agribusiness
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Ashely Lewis
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Agricultural Leadership and Development
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Ashley Seidenberger
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Agricultural Communications and Journalism
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Forrest Dyer
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Agricultural Economics
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Gabrielle Cowart
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Agribusiness
Employment Interests: Internships
Jonathan Prieto
Graduation Date: December 2017
Major: Plant and Environmental Soil Science
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
McKenna Kolbasinski
Graduation Date: December 2018
Major: Agricultural Economics Food Marketing Systems
Employment Interests: Internships
Shelby Barrow
Graduation Date: August 2017
Major: Agricultural Systems Management
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Victor Flores
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Food Science and Technology
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
Victoria S. De Leon
Graduation Date: May 2017
Major: Horticulture
Employment Interests: Full-Time Employment
To download extended student bios or to schedule an interview at Viva Fresh, please email sbockholt@dma-solutions.com
