Success in the agriculture industry requires more than just one approach. Attracting a diverse group of talent today paves the way for a successful future. 

To cultivate a robust and diverse workforce pipeline, Bayer offers scholarships and fellowships, invests in STEM education programs at the elementary, middle and high school levels, raises public awareness through education campaigns, and has donated more than $58 million in support of Bayer Funds America’s Farmers programs and partnerships with 4-H and National FFA. ​ 

We’re proud of all we do as a company and community to support young people as they explore futures in agriculture and STEM. But we’re especially proud of the impact we make on young people exploring careers in agriculture through our corporate internship program. 

And this year, the program at Bayer was even more expansive and special than before. To talk about Bayer’s new partnership with University of Hawaii, Maui Product Development Site Lead Becky Ryan joined Rick Hamada in studio with two of Bayer Hawaii's current interns, Josie Davis and Chynna Chun, to discuss the program.   It was part of the Sustaining Hawaii radio show that aired on KHVH radio on July 26, 2023.

 “At Bayer Hawaii we have long benefitted from the corporate internship program, our emerging talent program,” Becky explained. “These are students who are coming from universities all across the country. They have opportunities across multiple divisions from Bayer. Every year we get a few students, but this year we were also able to add a local program in partnership with University of Hawaii.”  

“We really started thinking about what is the future of agriculture, what is the talent we need, and what are students interested in at UH? We looked at the intersection of those two things to create opportunities for students.”  

They discussed how these talented interns are actively contributing to sustainability efforts, innovative projects and community engagement initiatives that are paving the way for a greener future in Hawaii. 

For Sustainability intern Chynna, agriculture is a relatively recent interest, but she’s had plenty of time to think about her future in the field. “It wasn’t until high school I joined Future Farmers of America and I discovered the world of ag,” she shared. “This Bayer internship has definitely helped with exploring the private sector of ag. My experience so far has been mostly in horticulture, I dabble in ag education and even legislative stuff. It’s a very broad experience.”   

Meanwhile, Josie is preparing to lead and eventually teach future generations of agriculture interns. “My goal once I graduate is to be in some sort of engineering field,” Josie shared. “I do want to lead people and be in management – I love leading people and I feel like it’s a very natural thing for me. And after that, I’d like to get more education and go back to teach college chemistry.” 

Interested in learning more? Listen to the full episode of Sustaining Hawaii here.