McCormick's Summer 2022 Internship Program Recap

This summer, McCormick welcomed a group of 60 interns in the U.S. Learn about the positive experiences and insight that each student gained from working in different sectors of McCormick's business.

Nethania Walker is a senior at Morgan State University studying Industrial Engineering. This summer at McCormick, she worked as a Process Engineer in the Hunt Valley Plant, where finished goods are produced to be shipped out to consumers. Nethania says she gained insight on what it takes to be successful in a professional work environment and prepared her for what it's like working as an engineer vs. studying engineering in school.

“One key takeaway from this experience is to always expect the unexpected and prepare for change,” said Nethania. This practice taught her not to be discouraged when the original path does not work out and to never be afraid to create a new route.

"I applied to McCormick because of its values," said Nethania. She appreciated how passionate the company is about our "Power of People" principle. "To me, that highlights diversity but also gives range to a multitude of opportunities to grow and find something you enjoy," she said. 

Sai Ravella is a rising senior at University of Maryland studying Computer Science and Math. At McCormick, he was a member of the corporate R&D team where he worked on a machine-learning-based formula development program using artificial intelligence and IBM. 

His work centered around Data Science and Machine Learning. "I had the opportunity to participate in many high-level meetings and learn about the subtle rules when working on large-scale projects," stated Sai. 

The biggest takeaway from his experience was gaining the proper communication skills to effectively ask questions and state his ideas. This internship taught him to look at the bigger picture. "This experience has been a challenge, there is not a place more supportive, engaging, and a great learning experience," Sai said. 

Sofia Vahos is finishing her degree in Business Communication at Stevenson University. During the summer, she worked in the Corporate Communication department and was assigned various projects to help further McCormick's corporate digital presence. She is very thankful for the opportunity to enhance her communication skills and build hands-on experience in the workplace. Her main takeaway from this experience is everyone makes mistakes. "I am a perfectionist with everything I do," said Sofia. If she did not make mistakes throughout this internship experience, then she would not have grown and learned to leave her comfort zone. "This internship was a challenge; I loved every minute of it," said Sofia. 

Nate Burnett is a rising senior at Hood College, studying business administration. He worked with the Food Away from Home Sales team at McCormick. This team oversaw stocking ingredients and spices for restaurants. Nate says that no matter what projects and tasks people are working on, there is always a sense of teamwork, and each person is willing to help one another in any way necessary to get the work done right. 

One of the aspects he enjoyed about his summer was eating lunch with his coworkers. "I liked being able to eat lunch together which has created many strong social connections for me; I believe these daily connections help build stronger bonds and help everyone work together more efficiently," Nate said.

 “The people at McCormick are extremely welcoming and helpful and there is always interesting work and engaging opportunities around the corner," said Nate.

Gabe Hiestand was the engineering intern in the Project Delivery Organization. He split his time working at McCormick's Global Headquarters and at the Flavor Manufacturing Center (FMC). Regardless of whom he talked to, he felt he always was treated professionally. He appreciated the friendly workplace culture McCormick offers.

This internship with McCormick provided Gabe insight into how sustainability is perceived and executed in manufacturing space. "This is something I have not been exposed to in the classroom before," said Gabe. One key takeaway from his internship experience was the importance of learning to define the problem and needs of the business. He had the opportunity to work out of his comfort zone in an unfamiliar environment with many moving parts and unknown parameters. He taught himself how to understand the full scope of complex problems from various perspectives by talking with knowledgeable individuals at every level of the business.

He applied to McCormick because he was impressed with both the workplace culture and McCormick’s recognition by Corporate Knights 2022 Global 100 Sustainability Index as the most sustainable major food company in the world. "I knew I would have the chance to work with amazing people and learn a lot about how to operate a large and complex business with consideration for its environmental impacts, making for a great summer," said Gabe. 

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