D26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 4,1983 NEWARK, Del. Now half-way through his University of Delaware career, John McWhorter knows exactly where he’s headed. Recently recognized for his achievements at the College of Agricultural Science’s Honors Day, the student is zeroing in on the lucrative field of agricultural chemical sales. He is even thinking about a second, post-retirement career as an independent en trepreneur. But McWhorter wasn’t always this definite about his goals. Three years ago, when he graduated from McKean High School, he was sure only that he wasn’t ready for college. A nice looking, personable young man, he had no trouble landing a job. He walked mto the service (department of a local foreign car dealership and waltzed out with a job as a mechanic. Though the pay seemed fantastic to an 18-year-old, he wan’t really happy with the job or its future. That’s when his mother gave him a book, Richard Holies’ “What Color is Your Parachute?” (Ten Speed Press), By working through its career planning exercises, he learned that his strongest career areas were agriculture-an interest he developed in Keith Walker’s high school horticulture class-and business. So, one year after high school graduation, he enrolled at the university as a major in agricultural business management. McWhorter says college is hard much harder than high school. He made the dean’s list his first year, but only by studying every night and weekend. He wishes now he had taken advanced chemistry, trigonometry and calculus in high school to prepare for tough college courses in business and science. But he does not regret taking a year off before starting college. He knows his high school guidance counselor had his interests at heart when she urged him to enroll right away: too many of her students promised they would go in a year or two but got caught up instead in SEEDS Finest Quality at Best Prices VORIS SEED CORN SOYBEANS WILLIAMS 79, PELLA, AMCOR *1 1.60 bu. 50 bu. or more *11.35 bu. SILVER QUEEN SWEET CORN SEED REIST SEED COMPANY Finest Seeds (Since 1925) Mount Joy, PA 717-653-4121 knows exactly where he’s going He blue-collar jobs ana new families. They never made it to college. McWhorter is grateful for that year of hard work and self exploration. Without the op portunity to ponder what he wants to do with his life, he would have been much less willing than he is now to spend 20 hours studying for a test. Instead of making the dean’s list he might have joined some of his friends who flunked out in short order. College has helped McWhorter refine his broad career goals. Most useful was a course in agricultural sales. A Monsanto Company employee explained his job, and the large amount of money he’s been able to make by doing it well. The student was impressed. Another big help was a small notice tacked on an Ag Hall bulletin board. The DuPont Company was looking for a student to work during the summer in agricultural test plots. It became obvious that the company wasn’t looking for a kid with a strong back. Three executives grilled McWhorter about his tuture plans, leading him to snsoect there could be more than a summer job at stake. The student, dressed in his Sunday best, stood up to the test and won the job. As pleased as he is with the possibility of a permanent job with DuPont, the native Delawarean wants to see a little more of the world first. He found the solution to that problem on another Ag Hall bulletin board. An advertisement alerted him to a national student exchange program. Instead of returning to Newark in the fall, he’ll trade places for one year with a student at California State University m Chico. But come senior year, he’ll be back at Delaware. At this point in his life there’s very little danger he’ll succumb to the lure of the beachboy lifestyle. John McWhorter is one young person who is sold on the important of preparing for the increasingly specialized future. And he con siders the College of Agricultural Sciences a great place to do it. John McWhorter prepares for an agricultural career at the University of Delaware. y
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