UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Maggie Will returns to The Hershey Co. in January, it will be her third time working for the company in the past three years, and this time truly will be a charm.
Will, of Elizabethtown, is a food science major in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and has completed summer internships with Hershey, a leading chocolate and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, for the past two years. She is set to graduate in December and will be wearing research scientist attire as soon as she hangs up her graduation gown.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity, which no doubt stems from my previous two internships,” she said. “I’ve spent the past two summers in research and development, representing a popular brand of snacks and working alongside other Hershey interns and scientists. Now I’m ready for the full-time experience.”
Will is set to graduate from Penn State in just three and a half years, fulfilling a goal she set during her freshman year. Her academic adviser, Chris Sigler, said her success was predictable from the beginning.
“Her love and passion for food science shines brightly,” said Sigler, associate teaching professor of food science. “She’s a true, natural leader, and my hope is that I hear from her again in the future, about her career success or how she is continuing her education.”
As an intern for Hershey, Will worked with the chocolate product development team on innovations in the company’s snack foods, as well as the sweets and refreshments team. In addition to gaining people skills, she learned about various machines and processes, she said.
“This year I was able to do a lot of things in the lab, as well as some pilot plant work, working next to Hershey employees,” she said. “These experiences helped me to understand what things I need to ask specific people at the University and how those specific questions can help me in my classes.”
Justin Kukura is the director of research and development for Sweets and Refreshment at Hershey. He helped supervise Will this past year and said she brought important skills in leadership and technical knowledge.
“Maggie’s accomplishments during her internship were driven by a combination of strong technical capability with leadership potential,” he said. “She consistently demonstrated a curiosity and a desire to learn, strong problem-solving skills and scientific thinking, and ownership and initiative in driving projects forward with effective collaboration across functions.”
He said she also refined and strengthened her communication and presentation skills and improved her ability to make “sound decisions based on data and facts.”
Sigler said Penn State has a strong relationship with The Hershey Co., and interns selected to work there are considered among the college’s top talent.
“Hershey has a strong track record of recruiting outstanding students from our program, and Maggie certainly fits that description because they wanted her not once, but twice,” Sigler said. “Other students gravitate toward her; she’s an exemplary role model for what a student can accomplish in our program.”
In addition to her classwork, she is working on an undergraduate research project in the lab of Josephine Wee, associate professor of food science. The team is examining the specific acids and metabolites produced by the microorganisms in a sourdough starter.
“We’re investigating how these compounds can be extracted and identified, with the goal of understanding whether they could eventually be used to help extend the shelf life of other baked goods and breads,” Will said.
She also served as a Food Science Advocate, one of only 12 students selected from a group of 150 who were recommended for the position, according to Sigler. As an advocate, she helped represent the Department of Food Science at public events, including prospective student tours and interactions with special guests.
Will said her appreciation for food science began in her youth, while cooking at home with her family.
“My family members are big foodies,” she said. “Cooking and us being together in the kitchen has always been a focal point of our family.”
Will’s love for food science continued throughout her junior and senior years of high school, and when it came time for college, she had one place in mind.
“Penn State is the only place I applied,” she said. “My father went to Penn State, and when I visited and toured the Department of Food Science, I knew this was home.”
Will said it took some time for her to adjust to such a large university, but with the support of her professors and classmates, she found her destination.
“Coming to a huge campus kind of scared me, but I felt that’s where I was meant to be and where the Lord was calling me to be,” she said.
Will was open to starting her career wherever opportunities were available. But getting to work for a food icon such as The Hershey Co. — just half an hour from where she grew up — is a dream come true.
“I’m excited to come back home,” she said. “I’ll be working with people I know, and thanks to my education at Penn State, I have the skills I need to thrive.”