First-person Perspective: John Brown Scholars Program
Published January 2008
By Christine Tew
When applications for the John Brown Scholars program were due in October, I rationalized that applying was "what I should do." The Brown program just seemed like the 'next step' to follow my 2007 Dickinson Scholars program experience.
I was honest on the application, too—my experience with business and economics was limited and I was really trying to decide between starting a master's degree or a 'real job' after graduation in May.
I was probably in middle school the last time my mother successfully talked me into doing something using the phrases, "It'll be good for you" and "It's what you should do." My judgment, even at age 12, was more reliable. I just knew it. It's probably a good thing I didn't ask for advice this time.
In November, I was accepted to the program and paired with the Raw Materials Procurement division of Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.
The John Brown Scholars program is designed to give juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn about the business side of agriculture, food and natural resources, according to Stephanie Chipman, career services director for the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at MU. Sixteen students were divided between Anheuser-Busch, Bunge NA, Monsanto and TC Jacoby & Company in St. Louis.
The Dickinson Scholars program is similar—twenty students met in Kansas City for a week with area agribusinesses, including: the Kansas City Board of Trade, Bank Midwest, General Mills and Fort Dodge Animal Health. The program in western Missouri is focused on college sophomores and juniors.
The program was a pretty fair trade for a week of winter break, too. An endowment from the late John Brown covers transportation and accommodations for the week and the host companies provide meals and entertainment.
The practical aspects of the John Brown Scholars program really appealed to me. It is very difficult for me to get beyond the "basics" during a career fair or informational interview, but the Scholars program let me listen and ask questions at Anheuser-Busch over a longer period of time. The pressure to ask meaningful, articulate questions and then relate my experiences to the business is much easier to handle when spread over a week.
I was concerned that the lack of business and economics experience I referenced on the application would be an issue with the John Brown Scholars program. I assumed too much. My minor in natural resources management was actually a huge asset during our conversations about environmental impacts and soil conservation. I reverted to my high school shop classes while our group went through St. Louis-area manufacturing and packaging plants. Although, the high-speed lines and robotic fork lifts weren't like anything I'd seen before. I also applied my journalism and marketing classes during discussions about new products, Super-bowl commercials and special promotions for Anheuser-Busch.
Tours, social hours and group dinners gave me time to chat casually with representatives from the other companies that participate in the John Brown Scholars program, as well. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has alumni at all of the companies we spent time with during the program and they were genuinely thrilled to have our group in town. No one was evasive—they were equally, if not more, interested in us as potential employees as we were in their job openings.
I didn't leave St. Louis with any job offers, although many John Brown Scholars have. However, I did make strong contacts and learned a little bit about commodities marketing and hop farming. I also received an invitation to meet with other Anheuser-Busch divisions in the future.
How to Apply
Applications for the Dickinson and John Brown Scholars programs are sent via e-mail to students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in October of each year. The application covers less than two pages and includes questions about courses you've taken and your career interests. You will also need a resume.
A group of CAFNR faculty and staff work together to select the scholars based on those applications.
Contact Stephanie Chipman in the CAFNR Career Services Office for more information.
Anheuser-Busch
The John Brown Scholars program is one of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources agribusiness academies, but it is not limited to students studying marketing, economics or other business principles. There are many ties between the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources building on the University of Missouri campus and the beverage company.
Water Quality
- Anheuser-Busch is known for making beer and 92 percent of a finished beer is water. In the brewing process, water from the municipal supply is tested, treated and tasted. The company philosophy says that producing good beer requires good water.
- Water that doesn't get sealed into brown bottles or aluminum cans is returned to the local supply or used for irrigation on farms near the breweries.
Wildlife Management and Habitat
- Anheuser-Busch has a long history with habitat and species conservation in addition to their breweries. The Busch Entertainment Corporation includes SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure parks. Kelly Diedring, MU Fisheries and Wildlife 2001, currently works at the Tampa Bay, Fla. facility as an animal care specialist.
Sustainability
- Anheuser-Busch recycles 99 percent of the solid waste from their breweries. Spent grains from brewing provide high-protein feed for livestock and for every four cans produced, the company recycles five cans worth of aluminum.
- The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and maintains regional distribution networks to minimize transportation needs for the finished product. Raw materials are moved via rail car, rather than trucks, to increase efficiency.
- The facility in St. Louis also uses a system to capture methane gas that is then piped back into the system as a source of renewable energy.
