In conjunction with the Alumni of Office Engagement, a group of Student Alumni Representatives (STARs) hosted a Blue Runs Deep panel discussion with Andover alumni who are pursuing careers in the food and beverage industry. Taking place virtually on November 12, the event featured Rob Bohorad ’90 P’26, Rebecca Ferrer ’94, Poorvi Patodia ’94 P’26, and Deidra Willis ’09, each leaders and pioneers in their respective roles in the industry.
Anthony Diaz ’25, a STAR, was involved in selecting the questions for each of the panelists. Diaz explained the process behind the personalized selection of questions, noting how the stories of the alums helped to positively inspire students who attended the event.
“I was mostly helping out with the questions, building off of the ideas from Andover’s connection to their industry, specifically with food and beverage. So tailoring these questions to their personality and their time at Andover, how much that really impacted them, we wanted a clear focus on that as well… This is really good insight [for] people going into any specific industry. It’s not even something that’s for people particularly interested in that field. [It’s about] the applications of their skills manifesting into their actual careers. I think that’s a really great opportunity for Andover kids to go and listen and hear [alums’] stories about their time at Andover. It influences how they approach the real world and their careers,” said Diaz.
Ferrer is currently responsible for leading global working groups focused processes that help support PepsiCo’s food safety and quality programs and standards. Throughout the talk, Ferrer emphasized how the Andover experience set a foundation for her personal growth and career.
“I’d like to say that in my career things look linear. I liked food, so I became a product developer. I like to make food, so I went into quality assurance. It’s not as linear as that. What really carried me through my career up until now, and helped carry me a lot has to do with Andover. Being more than the Ivy League education, it was Andover that gave me that resilience to know that no matter what obstacle I had in front of me, somehow, I’m going to dig it out. I’m going to dig out that courage to lead,” said Ferrer.
Ferrer’s connection to Andover is one aspect of the discussions that Naomi Mashburn, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, tries to highlight throughout Blue Runs Deep Events. She explained how a love for Andover can connect alumni and students throughout the events that occur once a term.
“We hope panelists provide inspiration to current students imagining their own career paths after graduation… We hope to offer students an opportunity to learn from leaders in various industries who all share the same love of Andover. The panels also offer our alumni a chance to learn from their classmates across differing decades, geographies, and backgrounds… We host one Blue Runs Deep panel per term across different industries, as voted on by the STARs. The winter Blue Runs Deep panel will be on ‘government, policy and diplomacy,’ and the spring panel will be on ‘scientific research and pharmaceuticals,’” wrote Mashburn in an email to The Phillipian.
The CEO of Biena Snacks, Patodia, was another one of this fall’s Blue Runs Deep panelists. Patodia described her personal motivation behind establishing a company that aims to provide healthy and financially accessible snacks for customers.
“I was pregnant and was trying to eat healthier. All of these snacks are marketed as being healthy because they are organic. I realized that nutritionally, they were not any better for me… I had this question: why is it that when it comes to snacking, why can’t we have snacks that have real protein, real fiber, and a lot of nutrition? At that moment, I thought of a snack I ate growing up, which was roasted chickpeas… My eyes just opened up at the opportunity,” said Patodia.
The discussion enabled panelists to share their biggest takeaways from their time in the industry. Willis, who spent the first seven years of her career involved in technical roles in manufacturing factories for Progresso Soup, Fruit by the Foot, and Yoplait Yogurt, mentioned how the inclusion of a special flavor in Fruit by the Foot led her to feel belonging.
“I’m Jamaican and so Soursop is pretty common in the Caribbean. I remember talking to my developer and she was trying to decide if it was citrusy enough… and we eventually did put that in the product. I don’t know if it’s still out now because I haven’t worked there for a while, but just being able to relate and feel like a piece of me and my culture was obviously important to this big company that I worked for. That they were going to use a flavor that most Americans would not know about, was really cool. It made me feel like I belong here and I can be myself at all times” said Willis.
Alex Giarnese ’25, another STAR, highlighted the personal connection he felt while listening to the panel. He noted how the event can inspire and remind students of how Andover can set the foundation for them to pursue their dreams.
“I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of Andover that was woven into this event and the amount that the alumni talked about their experiences, struggles, and triumphs during their time at Andover and how that led to their success in their industry… As an Andover student, it was really compelling and heartfelt to hear people who hopefully will be me one day talking about how Andover started their drive for success and their drive to do what they love,” said Giarnese.
