“She taught us that many times more than one answer could be correct, but there was a best answer, too,” Pryor recalls. “She would let you defend your answer if you disagreed with her, but you had to make a strong argument for your choice. It taught me a lot about critical thinking. I apply those skills now as a manager when I make strategic decisions. You have to be able to defend your choices, but also recognize when you are wrong and a better solution is found.”

Pryor, now a pricing team manager (and previously in human resources) at Dot Foods, says her career path after earning a degree in psychology has been unconventional, but it has allowed her to develop her skills and find the roles that best fit her skills and interests. Although she learned many lessons during her time at IC that she uses daily, one piece of advice from the late sociology professor, Dr. Richard B. Maye — that she didn’t take — has also stuck with her.

“As a student, I didn’t recognize the value in internships and hands-on learning that he always taught us. Now I see the value,” she said. “He did a really great job in recognizing our talents and letting his students get to know him as a person and not just a professor.”

Pryor now has the opportunity to share Maye’s advice with a new generation of Illinois College students.

“It has been a great experience working with interns at IC,” she said. “It’s amazing to think back on the advice that Dr. Maye gave and how much that philosophy has taken off on campus. The value of internships and experiential learning is being embraced at IC today.”

Pryor has served as one of Illinois College’s main contacts for the Dot Foods internship program since it began about a decade ago. She believes the program has strengthened the connection between her alma mater and the organization where she has established her career.

“When people think Dot Foods, they think of the truck drivers who are very visible, but what they don’t necessarily think of is the development team, the sales managers, the staff accountants and corporate recruiters — really anything business related. They might not connect Dot to the career they are interested in so it’s really important that we can bring these students in and show them what we have to offer.”

Dot Foods is a family-owned company that was established in 1960 by Robert (“RT”) and Dorothy Tracy in the tiny rural town of Mt. Sterling, Illinois. What began as a small company distributing milk powder for Midwestern dairies, has grown exponentially to become the largest food industry redistributor in the world. While Dot’s headquarters remain in Mt. Sterling, 11 additional locations have opened across the country. The company, now with 5,300 employees, was number 67 on Forbes 2018 list of the largest privately- owned companies. Dot is also known for advancement opportunities — two-thirds of managers are promoted from within.

To keep up with its expansive growth, Dot has invested in recruiting talented employees and developing their skills within the company. Internships with Dot are paid and the projects they work on are tied to our strategic initiatives. This means that the work interns complete is meaningful and most of it implemented in the business in real ways. All interns participate in round table discussions and multiple networking events. They are encouraged to explore the different paths for them at Dot Foods.

Since the internship program was established, many Illinois College students have gained hands-on experience through the program. Dot Foods maintains company-wide goals related to retaining interns as full-time employees after graduation. This conversion rate is an important part of the internship program. Special care goes into ensuring the interns who are hired will have a job that they will succeed in and enjoy. The program has allowed a large number of Illinois College students who interned at Dot Foods to launch their careers after graduation with Dot.

Matt Justice ’14 was one such student. He recalls being very involved on campus and wanting an internship experience that would allow him to gain professional experience close to Jacksonville. He calls discovering Dot Foods and finding out it is only 45 minutes from IC a “dream come true.” 

Starting with his first internship in business development, Justice has felt empowered to learn and grow at Dot Foods. He also learned, as many interns do, that career paths are not predetermined at Dot. Justice has held three different positions during his time at Dot and now serves as a corporate account manager working remotely outside of Nashville — an option offered to him when his wife received a job offer in that area.

“One of the reasons I enjoy working with Dot and why I have recommended it to so many people, including my sister, Kitty Justice ’18, is because they really put the employees first,” he said. “I know that a lot of companies say that, but that has been my experience here.” Justice also appreciates the value Dot places on professional development.

“Dot is such an innovative company that you really have to continue to learn or you get left behind. They make it really easy to find classes and to reach out for guidance from other employees,” he said.

Barb Brooks Atwood ’91, a business analyst with Dot’s IT department, agrees. She said it is the culture of learning that has made Dot a great place to spend the past 19 years of her career.

“I’m an economics major and I work in IT,” she said. “I have an aptitude for it, and Dot is a place that recognizes where you excel. They really want to make sure you match your role with your talents and interests.”

Atwood was already working full-time when she earned her degree from Illinois College. She said it’s easy to make the connection between studying at IC and working at Dot.

“Dot is like IC in that it is very team-oriented and collaborative,” she explained. “Learning is one of our core values. It’s very encouraged. If you are curious and aren’t satisfied until you get the answer — that’s really what drives people at Dot. We all strive to do better and improve the way we do things. It’s not an environment where you are being told the one way to do things. We are able to come up with creative solutions.”

Atwood has worked with many interns over her years at Dot and says they bring a lot of energy and talent to the company. Adwoa Anima Addo ’19 spent two years as an intern for the IT department and now works full time as a computer programmer. During her internship, Addo said she gained a lot of experience, but also learned a lot about herself.

“I learned that I love solving problems. When I solve a problem there is a real joy that I feel,” she shared. “My internship helped me realize that I can’t focus on just one project at a time. I need to jump between them. My boss helped me to figure that out and it made a big difference.”

Pryor has witnessed this growth widely among interns at Dot. “When they see how they can affect the organization, that really sparks excitement,” she said. “They generally understand the field, but the hands-on experience allows them to see how their work relates to the profitability of a company at the end of the year and the impact a project can have.”U

Omar Urquiza ’21, is a systems intern with Dot. He worked previously in the warehouse and has enjoyed getting in-depth experience with how the company operates.

“This experience has helped me see the value of what I have learned in the classroom,” he said. “For example, I have used a lot of what I learned in a speech class to give presentations which is pretty cool because I didn’t realize how much that class would help me.”

Urquiza is also learning about the value of enjoying what you do and finding meaning in your day-to-day contributions.

“The friendly environment really makes a difference in doing your best work. I want to come to work and I enjoy the projects I am working on,” he added.

Recent graduates, Kaitlin Thompson ’19, who earned her degree in psychology, and Tim Parks ’19, an accounting major, had similar experiences that resulted in careers at Dot Foods after graduation.

Thompson, a human resource specialist credits her background at IC and the research classes she took as preparing her for her Dot Foods career. Parks says he was surprised to learn how many IC alumni worked at Dot Foods.

“The people are so friendly here and make you feel comfortable and like they are here to help. I’m very thankful for that,” Parks said of working at Dot.

Susie Whittaker Drake ’90, director of career counseling and internship development at IC, has connected many Illinois College students to internship opportunities at Dot Foods. She says it is a valuable partnership has resulted in many benefits for the College, even for those who don’t end up working at Dot Foods.

“The professionals from Dot Foods have been amazing career-readiness partners for our students,” she explained. “They have volunteered their time to visit campus and coach students on resumé skills, discuss diversity in the workplace and conduct mock interviews.”

Because Dot Foods has internship positions in more than 15 departments, there is not one type of student who benefits from the partnership. Interns also network with leadership from all areas of the company, which expands their idea of what is possible for the future.

“The internship opportunities they provide are top-notch, and several IC students are selected for their internship program each year,” said Drake. “We almost always have students who receive offers to transition right into full-time positions after graduation.”

For Pryor, the benefits for Dot Foods are also apparent: “The biggest benefit for Dot is the recruiting dedicated employees from IC. The more we grow and enter into different industries that we haven’t been involved in before, we need more people,” she said. “We need talented people who are willing to invest in themselves through education and expanding their knowledge. Partnering with IC is a big win for us in that area.”