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An alumna gives John Waterman ´11 a ´cheesy´ idea

John Waterman ´11 works in the
John Waterman ´11 works in the "cheese house," learning the ins and outs of the business.

As John Waterman ´11 flipped through the pages of CC: Magazine last fall, an article featuring an alumna who co-founded Vermont Butter & Cheese Company inspired him to intern at the Shy Brothers Farm, a dairy farm and artisan cheese maker in Westport, Mass., this summer. "Growing up I have always been interested in food in general, and cheese making is something I wanted to learn," Waterman said. "But I had not considered it for an internship until I saw the magazine article." Waterman landed a position by using the skills he gained through Connecticut College´s Office of Career Enhancing Life Skills (CELS). The four-year program helps students sort through professional and academic options and land the internships of their dreams. Better yet, the College is funding Waterman´s internship. The College provides a stipend of up to $3,000 to all students who participate fully in the program. "The stipend made working at Shy Brothers Farm feasible for me," he said. "Without it, I likely would have had to take an unpaid internship, which would have been difficult." Through his college-funded internship, Waterman is learning the ins and outs of the business. On the farm, he works in the "cheese house," where he is crafting "hannahbells," the farm´s tiny specialty cheeses, by hand. He also is learning how the company markets its final products through farmers markets and food suppliers. Though he is a government major and a Latin minor, he says that this unique internship has been relevant to his academic experience. "My liberal arts education has exposed me to areas that I normally would not consider, particularly science," Waterman said. "Having this wide range of knowledge has allowed me to excel in cheese making, which is a science in itself."



July 15, 2010