GREENWICH, N.Y. — Tricia Jordan is currently an Associate Scientist in Food Safety for Mars Wrigley. Her hometown is Greenwich, NY and she attended Clemson University, where she attained a Food Science Bachelors degree.Â
Tricia was first exposed to the world of agriculture through family and friends who lived or worked on farms. However, it wasn’t until later that she discovered the large scope of agriculture when she took several agriculture classes in high school. Her ag teachers encouraged her to join FFA and it ended up becoming an integral part of her education.
One of her favorite memories is attending her first New York State FFA Convention as an eighth grader. What started as a fun reason to skip school for a few days ended up sparking greater interest in agriculture and greater involvement in FFA. She recalled, “Sitting in an auditorium full of students so excited about being involved in this organization, listening to students just like you speak about topics important to them, and meeting people from all over the state was such a crazy and unique experience that I knew I had to be more involved in FFA.”
Tricia eventually became a NY FFA state officer which further broadened her horizons as she was able to travel the state and attend the FFA National Convention. These experiences helped her to realize the many different career paths that exist in agriculture. She is also grateful to the FFA for helping her develop her public speaking skills through participating in Career and Leadership Development Events (CDEs) and for the relationships she has been able build through the organization.
Tricia attended Clemson University earning a degree in food science, which she says can be used in many different areas within agriculture. Today, she is an associate scientist in food safety for Mars Wrigley which makes recognizable candy products like M & M’s, Skittles, Twix, several kinds of gum, and more. “Food safety is all about ensuring food is produced in compliance with regulations and is safe to consume. This goes closely with quality assurance, which is making sure the food arrives to the consumer as expected with appearance, smell, taste, and packaging,” said Tricia.
Prior to her current position she worked as a Food Scientist in Research & Development for a company that made fried appetizers, frozen sandwiches, and USDA baked goods. In this role she worked on innovation products that created new items for consumers, commercialized products, and improved current products.
For any students who are interested in a career in the food industry Tricia recommends shadowing for a day or interning with a company in food production. Tricia had the opportunity to intern with Dunkin’ Brands and it proved to be a very valuable experience for her. She shared, “My internship with Dunkin’ Brands taught me so much about what to expect from manufacturing, and also solidified what I wanted to pursue as a career. For any career path, having the opportunity to actually see and do something similar for the day or throughout an internship is a great way to see what you are (or aren’t) interested in. The first time I was in a manufacturing facility was during my internship at Dunkin’; it was a completely different environment than I was used to, but also so cool to finally connect all the work I had done in the office with what was actually happening during production.”
For any students interested in the food industry feel free to reach out to Tricia with any questions at 16tjordan@gmail.com.
A new column from Morning Ag Clips, “Cultivating Ag Careers” introduces agriculture students and FFAers to the wide variety of careers that exist in agriculture. Each week a new individual will be introduced, who will share their journey: their educational experiences, their work, and what role their job plays in the wide world of agriculture.
Tune in each Wednesday to learn more about the different jobs and personalities that make up the ag industry!
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