Applied learning: Fertile ground for success
One of the recent applied learning highlights for food science student Krupa Thakkar was creating a new product, Hot Honey, which was sold out on launch day. supplied
Real-world learning experiences – and a resulting network of connections with mentors from academia and industry – help set University of Guelph students on the path to success.
Although they have different backgrounds, interests and passions, fourth-year students Karen Reymer (BSc Agriculture, majoring in crop science) and Krupa Thakkar (BSc, majoring in food science) report a common thread shaping their student experience: applied learning has enriched their understanding of their chosen field and helped define a vision for the future.
“Opportunities outside of the classroom, which give you real-world experience and exposure to the industry, have been among the most important aspects of my education,” says Ms. Reymer, “and the university has been fantastic in fostering these opportunities.”
She has participated in a wide range of activities, including a trip to Costa Rica, where she saw pineapple, banana and palm oil operations, a tour across different farms and facilities in the midwestern U.S. as well as an internship in Alberta, where she learned about different growing conditions and crop systems.
“My time in Alberta opened my eyes to challenges like insufficient access to water or even drought conditions, and this made me appreciate what we have in Ontario,” says Ms. Reymer, who grew up on a farm in Aylmer, Ontario. “I’ve taken advantage of internship opportunities every summer and worked on assignments related to my field. I’ve also taken on leadership opportunities to give back.”
Ms. Thakkar has been similarly active and engaged, and she credits this immersion with helping her thrive as an international student. “I come from Mumbai, India, and moving across the globe to study was hard in the beginning,” she says. “But because I have all these opportunities and I’m so involved in the community, for example, the food science club, I started loving what I do even more.”
Drawn to food science from watching Food Factory at age 12, Ms. Thakkar soon landed on the University of Guelph as her top choice for post-secondary education.
“It’s one of the best universities for food science in the world,” she says, adding that internships and co-op opportunities provided her with insights into the food development process as well as a chance to interact with clients. “I’m very thankful for the connections I’ve made, for example, at the Guelph Food Innovation Centre, where the team has really helped me grow.”
A recent highlight was an independent project that allowed Ms. Thakkar to combine her love of food science and palate trained on spicy foods. The result, a product called Hot Honey, earned rave reviews.
“Hot Honey is a condiment that we launched last year, and it was a big hit,” she says. “It sold out right away, so we had to do an emergency production the next day.”
The spice-infused honey drizzle follows the university’s iconic Cannon Fire, where students grow peppers over the summer and then prepare the bestselling hot sauce in the fall. For the left-over peppers, Ms. Thakkar helped come up with something new.
“I was involved in lots of aspects of the project, from choosing ingredients to decisions about labelling and costing,” she says. “When I finally held the bottle, I felt so excited and happy. It’s what I want to do in the future: become a product developer.”
Both Ms. Thakkar and Ms. Reymer report that applying their classroom learning in real-life situations influenced their career outlook.
“It’s great to get credits for internships and assignments, and all these hands-on experiences have given me a well-rounded view of the industry,” says Ms. Reymer, who looks forward to an upcoming six-month contract with BASF. “A good network is the biggest thing I have in my toolkit, and I’m finding mentors at every turn, in club meetings, guest speakers, leadership conferences, etc.”
Participating in different clubs, including a dairy club, has provided her with insights into different types of farming as well as reinforced her goal to “bridge the gap between food producers and consumers – and create more awareness about local food production,” says Ms. Reymer, who plans to have her own farm one day, where she can combine her passions for agriculture and agronomy.
Ms. Thakkar also has an appreciation for “giving back to the local economy and society.
“We need to support local producers and source ingredients locally where possible,” she says, “and this goes hand in hand with promoting a circular economy and sustainability.”
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To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Leadership in food and agriculture