2. How did you feel on the first day? How did it go? Were your expectations met? Can you describe anything that surprised you?

My first day at the company was spent doing some general new employee training and starting my work. I read the employee handbook, safety information, and operating procedures. I was treated just like a new employee and therefore paired up with Brittany, my advocate. She is kind of like a mentor; helping me with my training or to answer any other questions I may have. Silliker is food chemistry lab. This means that companies send food to them for it to be tested. The food generally needs to be blended before any tests can be completed. This is where my training began. I was surprised that on my first day I would be doing work in the lab blending samples. I learned how to tell which way to blend samples and which type of blender to use. There is a lot more that goes into blending than just pressing a button. I left feeling confident that I had made the right decision about where to intern. I had learned so much already and I was optimistic that it could only get better from here.