Morals

My friends affectionately refer to me as “Morals.” I’m often consulted if they find themselves faced with a decision requiring a steadfast moral compass. Therefore, it came as a surprise to some people when I accepted a job offer from Monsanto – a company often scrutinized as being the epitome of unethical, corporate evil.

Here’s the story of how a morally sound, die-hard Texan decided to pick up and move to the Midwest to work for one of the most hated companies in the world.

Pre-Monsanto

I was set to graduate with a B.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, but had no idea what to do with it. I chose that degree because I loved animals and just hoped if I pursued something I loved, a path would reveal itself to me in the end.

Walking into my final career fair during my last semester at A&M, I decided I had to be open to anything. My back-up plan was to pursue a Masters in animal nutrition or reproduction to avoid facing unemployment (aka the real world.) Determined to find a job, I researched about 10 companies who would be in attendance and felt prepared to speak with their representatives.

Monsanto was not one of those companies.

In fact, I knew very little about them other than something about how they sued farmers. I surprised even myself when I stopped at their booth on my way out of the fair. (Really I just wanted to get rid of my last resume.) I spoke with their representative, we shook hands, and I left the career fair that day not feeling particularly good about any of the companies I had spoken with.

Despite that, a week later I received a call from Monsanto requesting an interview at their headquarters in St. Louis. I accepted but, to be honest, I simply saw it as a free trip and an opportunity to practice my interview skills. Still, I wanted to be ready and in preparation for the interview I began researching them through the eyes of an eager, soon-to-be college graduate striving to make a difference in the world.

Digging deeper

What I found intrigued me. First, if you’ve ever Googled “Monsanto”, you can imagine my eyebrows were pretty raised. There were many articles claiming Monsanto was evil, taking over the food supply, poisoning consumers with their untested GMOs, suing farmers, and killing bees. If half the things I was reading about them were true, I knew I could never work for them.

However, as I scrolled through the sensational headlines, I noticed many of the sites making these claims were ones that frequently misrepresented animal agriculture. I was no stranger to activists and fear that gets spread about animal production, so I dug deeper.

On industry websites, I saw a company that held distinct recognition for efforts in inclusion, collaboration, corporate responsibility, and as a top employer. I saw a company with science and many global health, regulatory, and scientific organizations on their side.  I learned that Monsanto was producing and discovering innovative technologies that had positive impacts on farmers, the environment, and (in the end) consumers.

My un-enthused mindset about the interview began to give way to pure excitement as I recognized the parallel between my interest in sustainable animal production and Monsanto’s vision for sustainable crop production. Their very pledge encompassed everything I stood for: integrity, transparency, ethical behavior, and honesty.

Taking the job

After my interview I was extended an offer for a position at a soybean production site in a tiny town in Northern Illinois. I accepted this job on a leap of faith that took me 1,300 miles away from everything I had ever known and threw me into a world I knew very little about.

Let me be clear, this wasn’t something I ever would’ve considered my dream job. It wasn’t something I couldn’t refuse and, seeing as they were the first company I interviewed with, my acceptance certainly wasn’t a last resort just to make sure I ended up with a job. I chose to work for Monsanto because I truly believe in what we are doing.

It’s a struggle to deal with the aggressive negativity I’m confronted with and the blatant disregard for my opinions once I tell someone I work for Monsanto. However, I find fulfillment in my job and feel Monsanto is doing meaningful work that is changing the world in a positive way. I find comfort in knowing my company and knowing we’re on the right side of history.

So there you have it, the story of how a die-hard Texan like me could’ve possibly reached the decision to leave Texas. Not by coercion or trickery, but by learning the truth and being given an opportunity I would’ve been a fool to ignore. The only thing I regret is that Taco Bell is considered Mexican food up here…

*Edited 12/10/17 for clarity/grammar