Azzie Sullivan

Responsibilities

My main responsibilities in this internship included working in the microcreamery producing ice cream and cheese, facilitate and monitor the pasteurization of the ice cream base mix, and assisting in the development of a new vegan frozen dessert product.

Accomplishments

I think I am most proud of running a sensory taste panel for the new vegan frozen dessert, which included writing the survey and consent form, and helping run the taste panel by serving samples and administering survey instructions.

Learning experience

The greatest lesson I learned in this internship was to not be afraid to ask questions! In the production of ready-to-eat foods, it is important to always be careful and consistent with safety and formulation, so you ensure your product is the same quality that your customers expect. So with these high standards of quality, it is important to ask for clarification if you are ever unsure of what you are doing, and people will be more than willing to help you out, because we are all working towards the same goal of producing the best product for customers.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future students is to start your search for internships early, to find one that you enjoy. I know it seems scary to start your first internship in freshman or sophomore year, but it will help you so much in your future career prospects, and the experience is invaluable. You can also do multiple internships during your college career, and the things you learn in an internship will help you so much to figure out what you want to do when you graduate.