Student Internship Spotlight: Bianey Medina Garcia 

In another Fresno State #NationalHispanicHeritageMonth spotlight, plant science senior Bianey Medina Garcia took advantage of a Mendoza Berry Farms internship last summer as she plots a course towards getting her pest control & certified crop advisor licenses.

The first-generation college student is following her parents into the agriculture field and already has experience working in the fields near her home in the Salinas Valley since she was a teenager.

The campus plant science club officer is equally committed to helping others through a campus farm plot that donates produce to the Fresno State Student Cupboard.

Learn more about her in this recent interview.  

 

Q: What skills or experiences did you gain from the internship that they can apply to your potential career options?

Bianey Garcia: "I learned about various aspects of the company from several duties, including picking strawberries, quality assurance and weeding. The quality assurance role plays a particularly huge role in the agricultural industry as people always strive for the best looking product. Therefore, only perfect strawberries have to be picked and packaged according to company specifications. Weeding is beneficial because it can increase the amount of yield, can maintain the crop in view and reduce the amount of fertilizer being used. Furthermore, two other important skills I learned were teamwork and accountability. These two skills play a huge role because being an accountable worker is very important to get the production out on time."

 

Q: Give a quick description of the department and types of clients you worked with ?

Bianey Garcia: "There are two great companies that we picked and shipped the product to - Wish Farms and Naturipe. These companies generally sell the product in the East Coast of the United States."

 

Q: When do you plan on graduating, and what's your potential next career step?

Bianey Garcia: "After graduation I plan to obtain my PCA and CCA license. In the near future I plan to become a farmer by combining my education with my parents' experience. Our goal is to have a small strawberry company."

 

Q: What types of ag-related clubs are you involved with on campus?

Bianey Garcia: "My involvement with the Plant Science Club has helped me broaden my skills and meet amazing people that I have gotten the chance to relate to and share my experiences with."

 

Q: Do you directly work with any faculty on campus with research projects, etc.?

Bianey Garcia: "Recently I had the opportunity to work with the Plant Science Department on the student farm. Helping out on the farm was one of my biggest goals since they help with donations to the Student Cupboard. The Student Cupboard has supported me and various students with groceries during these hard times."

 

Q: Do you receive any Jordan College scholarships?

Bianey Garcia: "One scholarship that I received this semester was the Fresno-Madera CAPCA Scholarship."

 

Q: What is your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

Bianey Garcia: "I started working in the fields at a very young age. Both my parents have worked in the ag Industry for at least 15 years. They started as strawberry pickers and moved their way up. My mother, Maria Garcia, who is currently a foreman, is someone I can look up to for having a position that requires a lot of time and dedication. Another person that I truly admire is my father, Alejandro Medina, who is currently in charge of managing a ranch. Thanks to them, I decided to pursue a degree in plant science."

 

Q: Are there any other interesting notes about yourself that you would like to include?

Bianey Garcia: "I was born and raised in Chucandiro Michoacan, Mexico, and came to the United States at the age of five. I am the first generation in my family to graduate from high school and attend a university. Since my parents immigrated to the U.S. to give our family a better life and education to live the American Dream. I strive to be a role model to my two siblings."