Josh Rickrode

Background

About Josh Rickrode

In high school I worked for a feed and flour mill in rural, south-central Pennsylvania called AgCom, Inc. My job was to unload feed ingredients from trucks and railroad cars, load trucks with our products, and to keep the facility clean in my downtime. While I can say that I got really good at unloading railcars, the most important thing I learned was how to communicate with customers. On a daily basis I was able to interact with close to 20 truck drivers. Forming those relationships was my favorite part of those two summers. In the summer of 2021, I was fortunate enough to intern at PennAg Industries Association, where my communication skills were put to the test. I was able to work with a wonderful team to promote the growth of the agribusiness industry. While the work the organization did was beneficial for Pennsylvania businesses, it was even more paramount to everyone on the team that the people behind the operations were kept in mind. These work experiences go hand-in-hand with my Business Law 341 professor's favorite mantra:"hire good people, train good people, support good people." During my two summers at AgCom, one summer at PennAg, and 5 semesters of college, I have found that my professor is right. The most important lesson I have learned is that it is all about the people. Michael Scott (The Office) said it best:"In the end, life and business are about human connections." This quote has stuck with me since I was 17 years old, and is the best way to put into words why I am passionate about business. I want to use my career to do good things for good people.