Business student alumni apply real-world education to real-life careers

Photo by Linda Relyea
Racheal Werner and Jayme Malouff

There is a definite pipeline between ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø and Farm Fresh Direct, a partnership of multi-generation family potato farms in the San Luis Valley.

Farm Fresh Direct Chief Financial Officer Alex Miller graduated from ASU in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in accounting, and Racheal Werner, the company’s assistant to the organics program, completed her agribusiness degree in 2013.

Now comes Jayme Malouff, who already has a job at Farm Fresh even before she graduates in May with her degree in agribusiness and management. "Because of the strong relationships the ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø State School of Business has with the community, I learned of the job opening and was hired before I completed my degree," Malouff explained.

All three Farm Fresh employees credit their professors at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø State for preparing them for the "real world" by how they teach courses.

"I trust the program to graduate quality students prepared for their professional careers," Miller said. He points to Werner and her work ethic and knowledge, as well as to his own experience as an ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø State business student when recruiting other ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø State graduates. "The business professors teach about the real world rather than just from a textbook."

Werner said she applies what she learned in her courses to her every day duties at Farm Fresh Direct. "I graduated prepared for the real world."

Great stories begin at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø State. Then they continue at Farm Fresh Direct.