Living in Chicago has given Sydney the opportunity to explore, including an architecture tour on the Chicago River.
The Chicago internship is not her first. In the summer of 2021, Tankard worked as a quality assurance intern for Mountaire Farms, performing tests through analytical laboratory procedures, temperature and recording. Tankard then returned to campus and began a quality assurance and food safety internship at UDairy Creamery, which educates entrepreneurial UD students through the production and sale of premium ice cream and cheese made from milk from cows on UD’s dairy farm. Tankard worked from UD’s Genuardi Food Innovation Laboratory.
“In [UD’s] quality assurance lab, I measured pH and ran different lab tests on products, which is similar to what I’m doing now with Kraft Heinz,” Tankard said.
“Sydney has been a great addition to my team this summer,” said Melanie Heckman, Tankard’s supervisor and a senior product scientist at Kraft Heinz. “She initiated and developed an innovative sauce project that created four new sauces for the restaurant’s customer space. Her project work strengthens our innovation pipeline by delivering new offerings to our customers and enabling growth for Kraft Heinz.”
Engaged on campus
Outside of the classroom, Tankard is not one to pass up an opportunity. In addition to her role as Agriculture Ambassador, she serves as President and Secretary of the Food Science Club; students from different class years regularly connect with each other and with UD alumni leading successful careers. On the same subject : Violet Kimble C’21 starts her business while studying at Yale. In addition to the education and networking part, the club lives up to its name with fantastic gatherings with a food theme.
“We have meetings themed around food from different ethnicities and food trends,” Tankard said. “We’re all foodies at the end of the day. Food science is a broad field, so it’s fun to hear all the different things we want to do in the future.”
Tankard adds another presidency to her busy schedule as she leads Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The organization focuses on public service with a primary emphasis on the black community, educating on topics such as economic and educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement. She will lead UD’s Mu Pi Chapter.
While she is now a seasoned, ultra-committed Blue Hen senior, Tankard arrived in Newark as a freshman open to guidance. She was a mentee in the Center for Black Culture’s Every One Reach One Mentoring program.
“I built a strong friendship with my mentor, so I wanted to mentor others,” Tankard said.
The rewarding experience motivated her to give back. UD Class of 2023 students are now mentoring three students, giving them the camp on campus and bringing them to social activities, cultural events and educational and leadership workshops.
Entering her final year as an undergraduate, Tankard is keeping an open mind about her plans after graduation. Whether she jumps straight into a position as a food scientist, goes to graduate school or, knowing her work ethic, takes on both at the same time, this blue hen is ready to officially launch the career she envisioned long ago in the sixth grade classroom. .
