DECEMBER 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 89 INTERNATIONALAGRICULTURALDEVELOPMENT Exposure – The Common Thread PERUVIAN BORN JUAN MARROQUIN, nick- named “J.J.”, landed a job in California as a melon breeder with international HM. Clause Inc. – Group Limagrain. He was simply elated. Truly he had joined in rank with those of the international seed industry. But how do entry level and early career professionals find their way into this vast arena? For J.J., it began by leaving home and family. He enrolled in the Honduran Pan-American College of Agriculture, known as Zamorano, located near the capital city of Tegucigalpa. His immediate goal was an undergraduate degree in agriculture. In the pursuit, he gained a wealth of practical experience separate from academic studies in the Agricultural Science and Production curriculum. Each morning of classroom learning was balanced with afternoon opportunities to apply that knowledge and new skills in Zamorano’s diverse commercial enterprises. Zamorano requires a one-year internship experi- ence, beyond completion of required academic studies. J.J. journeyed to the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign for internship with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Technically based in Illinois, much of his intern- ship was spent on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico gaining experience at the Illinois Crop Improvement Association’s third-party services farm. He remained in Illinois following that internship period and attained a M.S. in Plant Breeding and Genetics. Advanced degree in hand, he then secured agronomic employment with a specialty plant grower. Later surfaced the coveted melon breeder opportunity with HM. Clause, Inc. Megan James made her entry into the international seed industry via more traditional means. East-central Illinois summer jobs with international seed compa- nies coupled with a unique undergraduate academic student research opportunity. Her first seed job, in part, entailed making hand pollinations, which later expanded to include providing oversight for others. Her research was conducted in the Corn Functional Genomics Lab within the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. Her initial interest in international agriculture intensi- fied as result of a two-week study abroad oppor- tunity with the ADM Institute for the Prevention of DENNIS THOMPSON is dedicated to delivering solutions and empowering people and organiza- tions to solve complex problems related to international agricul- tural development and global food security. His career experience and international credentials include Extension education, agronomy and admin- istration. Postharvest Loss. In seeing the differences between industry and small-operation farming, she saw stark contrast between the quality of materials and resources available to the average smallholder farmer and industry or academia. Megan was gradually led, post-graduation, to seek a seed industry position and attained that goal when she joined Monsanto Company, Farmer City, IL as a Data Specialist. In that role she would create and manage seed corn Process Orders through closure. The local community college has provided an entry point into the international seed arena for many former students of Champaign Illinois’ Parkland College, cites retired agricultural professor Don Bergfield. He super- vised scores of students enrolled in college classes requiring work-study and internship experiences. In addition, he introduced a highly popular international agricultural travel opportunity into the curriculum. Over the last 40 years, including transfer students to four-year programs, he estimates the College’s agri- culture program has guided hundreds of young men and women into the seed industry. How so? Many of the companies that provided work-study or internship opportunities for Parkland College students were directly engaged in the vibrant East-Central IL seed industry. Those companies provided rich practical oppor- tunities for supervised community college students. Illinois Crop Improvement Association hosted Bergfield’s ag production class each year providing his students a field-trip experience. In addition, numerous students ultimately performed required work-study assignments or completed internships at Illinois Crop Improvement. Others obtained part-time student employment in the seed laboratory or greenhouse. The retired professor was recently the recipient of an Honorary Illinois Crop Improvement Association Member Award for his service to students and the seed industry. Decades of unnamed students all began careers in the global seed industry. Accomplished via differ- ent means and by following different routes. However, each was exposed to the seed industry while a student. Work-study, internship, student employment, interna- tional study tour, and local field trip experiences can effectively ready students for meaningful careers in, and to make future contributions to, the seed industry. SW