On his journey from intern to associate, he nourished the world.
In 2022, Darrin joined Cargill as an Operations Management Intern and learned about “how things are done behind the scenes” to put food on people’s tables. He grew up surrounded by cotton fields and farms in Mississippi and spent his life around agriculture. This led him to study agriculture science at Alcorn State where that interest grew into a passion. Since then, he has continued to learn and grow and recently joined us as an Operations Associate.
We caught up with him to discuss his internship experience as well as his thoughts on his future. If anyone can speak about turning an internship into a career with Cargill, it’s Darrin.
What made you interested in an agriculture career?
I graduated from Alcorn State University with a major in Agriculture Science. Agriculture Science made sense for me because I was surrounded by cotton fields and farms my whole life. I’ve taken classes in Animal Sciences and classes in Agriculture Business. With my degree, I knew how grain was harvested, but I didn’t know how much grain was in demand, for example. That was until I interned at Cargill.
Speaking of which, what was your intern experience like?
My first internship I was out in the fields of Nebraska taking in truck loads, loading rail cars, running ship loaders. I had the chance to try everything. My second internship was in Louisiana working on projects like barge unloading sheets to improve efficiency. I also helped identify critical spares, which means replacing spare parts of equipment in the plant.
What has been your favorite project at Cargill?
There were a few memorable moments each summer. I loaded a train hopper, which is off the ground like ten feet. You are wearing a harness and a lifeline. You’re flipping lids. Not everyone can say they’ve done that. And not a lot of people can say they’ve been on a vessel. I was on a barge on the Mississippi river, hooking chains to lids. It was memorable because this is how we eat. Without Cargill workers, the world wouldn’t eat.
What made you want to continue your career with Cargill?
Throughout my internships, I was treated like family, in a sense. I got to meet so many people; so many personalities. I was also surprised to see how things are done. I had never seen grain traveling throughout the sea, had never unloaded a barge and loaded a vessel, for example. I was included each step of the way. Long term, I’d like to stay in agriculture – hopefully at Cargill. I’ll see where it takes me.
Every Cargill journey begins somewhere.
Darrin’s Cargill journey began in Mississippi and is taking him inside the world of global food production. His internships allowed him to combine education with passion to build something he can be proud of – something that makes a difference. But his journey has only just begun.
There’s no telling where it will take him … or where yours will take you. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact on our world and want to see how far it can take you, begin your internship journey with Cargill and find out.
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