Meet the Alico Summer Interns
As our need to feed increases, the next generation of agriculture is more important than ever before. Alico is excited to take on part of this new generation with its internship program, which offers the opportunity for students to get out in the field and work first-hand alongside managers who have years of experience under their belts. Also, during their summer field trips, the interns will be able to learn about the many different components of the citrus industry.
The Alico Internship Program is led by Alico’s Sustainability Director, Carisa Keller. This summer she will work with six students from different universities, and is eager to share her passion for the industry by exposing them to the challenging aspects faced in this line of work.
The interns include:
- Omar Gloria, who is from Lake Placid, Florida. A senior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Omar is working his way towards a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a career in the production side of agricultural. Omar discovered his desire to be a part of the agriculture industry in high school with his involvement in Future Farmers of America (FFA). In his free time, you may find him either hunting or fishing with friends. During his internship at Alico he looks forward to gaining experience with what it takes to be a successful production manager in the citrus industry. The favorite thing he has learned at his internship so far is discovering all of the components that go into setting up a mixing rig operation, as well as learning how to mix for the sprayers. This summer Omar Gloria will be reporting directly to Buddy Strickland at Alico’s Joshua Grove.
- Joseph Davies, who is another Lake Placid local. He is a senior at the University of Florida, majoring in Agricultural Operations Management, with a concentration in Horticulture. Coming from four generations of tobacco farmers, Joseph wanted to follow in the footsteps of his relatives and pursue the industry with same passion they did. After graduation, he would like to obtain a production management position within the citrus industry, and also hopes to own a harvesting company in the future. During football season, Joseph’s favorite pastime is supporting his school’s beloved football team, the Florida Gators, alongside hunting. This summer he is excited to be able to obtain knowledge from the Alico team regarding all of the production practices used in order to be successful. His favorite portion of the internship so far is working with all of the tractors. Joseph is reporting to Santos Franco at Alico’s groves located throughout Avon Park and Sebring.
- William Cochlin is from Sebring, Florida. He is a sophomore at Warner University, majoring in Agricultural Studies, and minoring in mathematics. While growing up, Will loved working jobs involving lots of hands-on experience, which gave him the passion to pursue a career in the industry. He is the typical case of, “Love what you do for a living, and it will truly never feel like a job.” Being a sophomore at his university, Will is taking his time, experiencing diverse portions of the agriculture industry as a whole, in order to understand what specific area he wants to be involved in after graduation. Since starting the internship, he has enjoyed learning about all of the efforts that go into the production of citrus. William is reporting to Dana Campbell at Alico’s Frostproof Groves.
- Charles Kast is from Lakeland, Florida, and is a junior at Florida Southern College. He is working towards a degree in Horticultural Science, with a focus in citrus and a minor in business. He is looking forward to working, as well as meeting different people in the citrus industry. He is interning under Tommy Walker at Alico’s groves located in Citrus South.
- Neil Helseth is from Fort Pierce, Florida, and is a senior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Currently finishing up a Bachelor’s in Crop and Soil Production, his family has played a large role in his passion for pursuing a career within the industry. After graduation, Neil plans on getting a job on the management side of production. In his free time, you will most likely find him hunting or fishing. This summer, he looks forward to learning all of the ins and outs of citrus, so he is able to continue to broaden his knowledge about the industry. Neil’s favorite part of the internship so far is learning how to manage irrigation systems. He is reporting directly to David Kemeny at Alico’s TRB Grove.
- Emma Keller is a returning intern from Punta Gorda, Florida. A senior at Warner University, she is currently finishing up a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science, with a double minor in marketing and communications. Coming from a family involved in the citrus industry, she would like to carry on the tradition and have a career that always feels rewarding. After graduation, Emma wants a job in the citrus industry as a communication marketing specialist, and be involved with production management. In her free time, Emma enjoys hunting, fishing, and working on photography projects. Her favorite part of the internship so far is having had the chance to sit and really learn different things about scouting, grove layouts, and equipment operation with her manager, Glenn Blake, at Alico’s Corkscrew Grove.