Agricultural Business Student Spotlight: Wilson De Groot

Recent agricultural business graduate Wilson De Groot was one of several Fresno State students getting great experience this past summer as interns at Yosemite Farm Credit.

The Pixley native already had lots of general agricultural operations knowledge from his family dairy, and he enjoyed learning more about the finance, lending and underwriting sides, too.

He was well-prepared for the internship thanks to agricultural business classes taught by Dr. Todd Lone & Dr. Patrick Berends (to go along with a side interest in C++ and Python computer languages).

Learn how he balanced a daily hour commute each way near the end of his degree with his class and work commitments in this interview.

 

Q: How did you pick Fresno State and agribusiness as your degree path?

De Groot: "Fresno State is known for having an excellent agricultural business and science programs. It was a perfect selection for me not only financially but socially. I was close to family and friends, and it gave me the opportunity to experience and adapt to life on my own."

De Groot: "I was drawn towards my major solely due to the fact that Ag is really all I've ever known. I grew up on a dairy farm in the South Central Valley (of California) and have worked on it since I was in middle school, so I was naturally influenced to pursue a career in which I have a leg up over many of my peers."

 

Q: Did you have any other family members that are Fresno State graduates?

De Groot: "I do not have any family members that attended. I am a first-generation graduate."

Q: Which classes and faculty members had the biggest influence on you?

De Groot: "When I entered Fresno State I knew that I wanted to be in the agricultural industry, but I had no idea what specific career path I wanted to go down. Dr. Patrick Berends and Dr. Todd Lone were two of my favorite professors and conducted the classes that inspired my current career path. Ag Accounting, Ag Financial Management and Advanced Agribusiness Applications were my favorite classes organized by these professors."

De Groot: "I am also a big computer nerd and took a couple CSCI classes, of which, Professor Bill Kerney's courses inspired me to pursue a hobby in coding. I am currently learning C++ and Python, and I am confident that this will become a great contribution to my skills and career in the future."

Q: What companies have you done any internships or part-time jobs with recently? 

De Groot: "While attending Fresno State I was employed part/full-time at the family dairy farm in Pixley CA. Due to COVID, I didn't have a chance to venture outside of the business."

De Groot: "This past summer I worked as an intern for Yosemite Farm Credit under the title of Loan Officer Trainee. This has been the best opportunity for me to take what I have learned and use it to advance my career path. The environment, people, relationships and standards of practice at YFC are outstanding." 

Q: What types of clients did you work with, and what tasks did you normally do?

De Groot: "As a Loan Officer Trainee I got to learn about everything that goes into originating and servicing Ag loans. This involves borrower interaction and financial analysis. At YFC I got to experience every step in the loan underwriting process. I spent most of my time in the credit analysis departments. This involves obtaining the required information from borrowers, and structuring/spreading the information and completing an analysis of the business or individual. I also serviced loans. Servicing includes rate locks, renewals, amendments, extensions, borrowing base certificates, refinances, etc.."

Q: How did this internship help you professionally, and what skills did you develop you can apply to your career?

De Groot: "This internship gave me a taste of what I have been reaching toward in my professional life. The most important thing that I learned at YFC is that ag is one of the most interdependent industries on earth. Communication, relationships and customer satisfaction are key to maintaining a stable ag industry. It makes me proud to know that the Farm Credit administration is as humble as they are. The people I work with have all come from an agricultural background and understand that the industry, at a micro-level, is volatile and can generate unexpected obstacles. The amount of effort incorporated by the administration in regards to working alongside dairymen and farmers so that success is seen on both sides is truly astounding."

Q: At the internship, what were some of the most memorable experiences?

De Groot: "A couple of colleagues and I went on a visit to all of the different branches of YFC and got to meet all of the other people that work within our agency. It opened my eyes to the true scale of our operations and just how many customers we serve. Also, our branch has a tradition in which the intern has to make a peach cobbler. It was my first time making a baked dessert from scratch, and I was glad that I got to be a part of the tradition. I covered it with ice cream to mask the taste."

 

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

De Groot: "My father has owned a dairy farm in Pixley, CA since 1999. I have worked on it since I was 13. I have done everything from farming, milking, feeding, composting, pushing, accounting and production analysis. We currently farm about 1,000 acres of alfalfa/corn and have around 3,700-4,200 head of cattle. We are multi-generational dairy men on both sides of my family. I have gotten the amazing opportunity to work alongside my father and brothers and felt proud of all of the time I've put in!"

 

Q: Have you overcome any challenges to get where you are today that have shaped who you are?

De Groot: "COVID-19 caused me to have two very difficult years and forced me to move back to Pixley, which disrupted my plan for a 3 1/2-year degree. I intended to graduate December 2021, but thankfully I still graduated the semester after in May 2022. Near the back end of the pandemic, classes were becoming online and in-class. This forced me to drive back and forth from Fresno to Pixley every day for a semester. It was difficult and frustrating, but I knew that I didn't want to work for 4 years for nothing!"

 

Q: What's your potential next career step, and what job/profession/company/etc. or how do you plan to use your degree eventually?

De Groot: "I plan to pursue a career in the Farm Credit System. My time at YFC was amazing and is exactly where I belong."