DALLAS, TX - Viva Fresh Produce Expo is almost here! And who better to bring to this year’s Expo then the future of the fresh produce industry? This year, DMA Solutions is bringing nine top performing students from Texas A&M University, hand selected by Dan’l Mackey Almy herself, as a part of the Aggies for Fresh scholarship, supported by Texas International Produce Association (TIPA).
“For the past two years, we have had the joy of mentoring and helping Aggies find their place in the fresh produce industry at the Viva Fresh Expo thanks to the support of TIPA,” said President and CEO of DMA Solutions, Inc. Dan’l Mackey Almy. “We believe that these students are the next generation of great minds who could really help shape the future of fresh—we’re hopeful to continue the success of placing students in this growing industry.”
After expressing an interest in pursuing a career in fresh produce, the students selected are eager to learn more about what a role in fresh produce could look like for them following graduation, including possible internships or full-time positions. Industry leaders will have an opportunity to meet these students on the tradeshow floor as well as during the Aggies for Fresh reception, taking place Friday evening at 4:30 pm–5:30 pm.
According to a press release, this year’s Viva Fresh scholarship recipients include the following:
- Shelby Counter, Bachelor’s in Agribusiness (May 2018)
- Jacob Jordan, Bachelor’s in Agricultural Leadership and Development (December 2018)
- Maria Alejandra Ramirez Lopez, Master’s in Agribusiness (May 2019)
- Chase Mayfield, Bachelor’s in Horticulture (May 2018)
- Bridget Santana, Bachelor’s in Bioenvironmental Science (May 2019)
- Jessica Schaffer, Bachelor’s in Agricultural Leadership and Development (May 2019)
- Monica Swei, Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Business Honors (December 2019)
- Cheyenne Upton, Bachelor’s in Agricultural Communications and Journalism (May 2019)
- Claire Wilson, Bachelor’s in Agricultural Communications and Journalism (May 2018)
Aggies for Fresh also invited Codie Wright, Sales Program Coordinator at Texas A&M University, whose leadership and passion for bridging the gap between industry and academia has been invaluable in creating material that is setting students up for success in our industry.
As one of the largest Agricultural Science schools in the world, Texas A&M University seeks to enable students with the resources necessary to answer the grand challenges agriculture faces daily as well as provides the fresh produce industry a tremendous talent pool.
This year, Viva Fresh Produce Expo will be held in San Antonio, Texas on April 6-7, 2018. For more information about the nine scholarship attendees, please visit this website. And for more of what’s to come at this year’s expo, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
