The Chicago internship is not her first. In the summer of 2021, Tankard worked as a quality assurance intern for Mountaire Farms, where she conducted tests through analytical lab procedures, temperature and record keeping. Tankard then returned to campus and began a quality assurance and food safety internship with UDairy Creamery, which educates entrepreneurial UD students through the production and sale of premium ice cream and cheese made from the milk of cows on UD’s dairy farm. Tankard worked out of UD’s Genuardi Food Innovation Laboratory. 

“In [UD’s] quality assurance lab, I measured pH and ran different lab tests on products, which is similar to what I do now with Kraft Heinz,” Tankard said. 

“Sydney has been a great addition to my team this summer,” said Melanie Heckman, Tankard’s supervisor and a Kraft Heinz lead product researcher. “She kicked off and progressed an innovative sauce project creating four new sauces for the restaurant customer space. Her project work is strengthening our innovation pipeline by providing new offerings to our customers and enabling growth for Kraft Heinz.”

Engaged on campus

Outside of class, Tankard is not one to let an opportunity pass by. In addition to her agriculture ambassador role, she serves as president and secretary of the Food Science Club; students from different class years regularly connect with each other and with UD alumni leading successful careers. In addition to the education and networking component, the club lives up to its name with fantastic food-themed gatherings. 

“We have meetings themed after food from different ethnicities and food trends,” Tankard said. “We are all foodies at the end of the day. Food science is a broad field, so it’s fun to hear all of the different things that we want to do in the future.” 

Tankard is adding another presidency to her busy schedule as she leads Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The organization focuses on public service with a primary emphasis on the Black community, educating on topics like economic and educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement. She will lead UD’s Mu Pi Chapter.

While she is now a well-seasoned, ultra-engaged Blue Hen senior, Tankard arrived in Newark as a first-year student open to guidance. She was a mentee in the Center for Black Culture’s Each One Reach One Mentoring Program. 

“I built a strong friendship with my mentor, so I wanted to mentor others,” Tankard said. 

The rewarding experience motivated her to give back. The UD Class of 2023 student now mentors three students, giving them the lay of the land on campus and bringing them to social activities, cultural events, and educational and leadership workshops.

Entering her final year as an undergraduate student, Tankard is keeping an open mind for her post-graduation plans. Whether she jumps directly into a food scientist position, goes to graduate school or, knowing her work ethic, takes on both at the same time, this Blue Hen is ready to officially start the career that she imagined long ago in that sixth-grade classroom.