The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Inspection Services Division (ISD) welcomes summer intern Tonantzin Ortiz and congratulates her for recently earning a Salinas Valley Chapter of California Women in Agriculture (CWA) Agricultural Studies Scholarship.
“As part of CDFA’s Ag Vision to support workforce development aimed at attracting, supporting and providing high-quality jobs and leadership opportunities, we welcome Tonantzin with open arms to her summer internship,” ISD Director Natalie Krout-Greenberg said. “We also congratulate her for winning an honorable scholarship.”
Oritz attributes earning the scholarship to being an active member of both Salinas Valley and Central Valley CWA chapters, and volunteering at multiple elementary school events the past year to demonstrate the importance of the water cycle.
“I honestly can’t believe I won,” she said. “Growing up I was never the type of student to get recognition for my volunteer efforts and contributions to the community, so it definitely is a pat on the back for all the hard work I’ve done this year.”
A senior a California State University, Fresno, Ortiz is on track to her earn her bachelor’s degree in plant science this December. She plans on utilizing the scholarship funds to continue her education toward earning a master’s degree in breeding, environmental science or food safety. Her long-term aspirations include an agricultural career.
“Something that I hope to do after college is to become a staple within my community by promoting and allowing young individuals to see the multi-faced aspects of agriculture and inform them of the many opportunities there are within this industry and how much help there is for students,” Ortiz said. “The reasoning behind pursuing this as my goal is to promote young people of color like myself to become leaders and not just workers within the ag industry, and to make a positive impact on not just our communities, but our environment.”
Furthering her efforts toward a career in agriculture, Ortiz applied to the Maddy Institute’s Agricultural Policy Internship Program. The result is her current summer internship with ISD’s Produce Safety Program (PSP). Her internship duties include: Helping generate PSP’s farm inventory verification list for the upcoming fiscal year, researching information specific to growing practices for berries, performing farm verification phone calls, and learning about farmer education and regulatory functions by shadowing PSP inspectors during an On-Farm Readiness Review and farm inspection.
Ortiz also has some advice for people pursuing an agricultural career.
“I just want to say to all the students out there, don’t limit your potential and always strive for more, even though you think it’s out of your reach!”