Annually, Valley Wide Cooperative and Valley Ag host college interns for the summer. This year, the Valley Wide feed team included Jesus Rojas as an intern in the Magic Valley. As a feed intern, Jesus worked with Feed Sales Manager Austin Sears to call on customers, build feed rations, and prospect new customers. Jesus also spent time at the feed mill in Preston to learn the process of processing and handling our bulk feed.
Jesus grew up in Wendell, Idaho, and is as a first-generation college student. He is currently a senior at Utah State University studying Animal and Dairy Sciences. After graduation, he will continue his education with a Master’s in Animal Nutrition.
This week, Jesus visited Valley Wide headquarters in Nampa to present on his summer internship in front of CEO Dave Holtom and other senior staff members. Jesus says, “The best part of the internship was building relationships with great co-workers. I learned so much from all the people that mentored me this summer, and I feel like, in the long run, those relationships will matter.” He said the most challenging part was getting comfortable with his communication skills, especially when it came time to talk to dairy managers and owners. He says, “At first, I was nervous about making sales calls, but I leaned on the Valley Wide people who already have relationships with the dairy, like the energy team, and it helped open doors.”
Thank you, Jesus, for all your hard work this summer. Best of luck with your senior year!