Allee Sweeten, 2022 Intern
Meet Allee Sweeten
A senior at Arkansas Tech University studying Agriculture Business.
Allee is no stranger to Simmons Foods having interned with us last summer, as well as watching both her dad and sister work for the company. This summer, Allee interned with the Simmons Prepared Foods’ Benton County team. Working alongside Monica Chambers, Manager of Continuous Improvement, Benton County, Allee’s project focused on establishing targets and training tools in preparation for an initiative that will enhance capabilities at the plant. Throughout her project, Allee learned the importance of rolling with the punches, as well as the importance of acknowledging what you don’t know and being willing to ask questions and learn.
I genuinely enjoy working for Simmons Foods. My dad has worked for Simmons since before I was born, and now my sister works for the company, so I have been around many Simmons team members over the years. However, I had no idea how great the culture was until I started working with the company. The Simmons values are truly lived out through the people and the culture, which is evident no matter what facility you walk into. I would recommend Simmons Foods to anyone because of the wonderful experience I have had throughout my time with the company. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to join the Career Leadership Program and start my career with Simmons Foods after graduation. - Allee Sweeten
What are two to three lessons you learned this summer that you will carry with you as you head back to school?
I learned the importance of being able to “roll with the punches.” I had to learn this skill quickly during my internship because I had to adjust my project due to not being able to accomplish it within my eight-week internship. It was difficult and stressful initially, but with the assistance of the outstanding leadership team I was surrounded by, we made the change, and I believe my project was better for it.
I also learned and developed my ability to ask meaningful questions to the leadership team I reported to. Being vulnerable about the fact that you do not know the processes and need to ask simple questions to get a complete understanding can be intimidating. However, the team members, supervisors, and managers I worked with were great about doing anything they could to help me grow in my knowledge and understanding.
What do you believe sets Simmons Foods’ internship program apart from other intern programs? What was the most valuable experience you had during your internship?
The Simmons internship program is set apart from other programs because we get to do real work. I truly felt like the two projects I was given during both my internships at Benton County were valuable to the facility. There was a need for someone to focus on the processes, and I was able to provide ideas and input through time studies, direct observations, and tests. With the information I gathered, I could report it to the leadership and felt like my ideas were acknowledged and implemented into the process.
I feel that my most valuable experience during my internship was getting to grow previous relationships and build new ones with people throughout the company. As you go throughout life, I believe it is important to network and foster relationships for future growth opportunities. With Simmons’ first value being “put people first,“ it has been evident in my two short summers with the company that everyone lives out that value in everything they do. I hope to take some of that which I have seen throughout Simmons into not only my college career but my life.
Left to Right 2022 Benton County Interns: Jake Noble, Operations, Adyson Sanny, Quality Assurance, Kasandra Tajchman, Operations, Allee Sweeten, Operations, Walker Davis Operations
The 2022 class of summer interns was our largest class to date. Our interns “Do Real Work” by completing meaningful projects that contribute to their chosen department, our company and help build their professional portfolios. Over the next few weeks, stay tuned as we feature six of our incredible interns and their projects.