Employee In the Spotlight: Derya Yilmaz

Hi Derya, has the exciting world of biochemistry always managed to grab your attention?
In some way it has. I started out studying Industrial Sciences at first. Partly because of my natural interest in science, but also because of my father – an industrial engineer I never stopped looking up to. My childhood has always been one of discussing science with my dad. How does something work? What could be the mechanism behind it? Those are the type of questions we both tried answering. It proved to pave the way for a scientific career. I have big shoes to fill but that’s a challenge I’m ready to take on.

What did you end up studying in the end, if not Industrial Sciences?
I was definitely captivated by the course, but it couldn’t prevent me switching to biochemistry at the UCLL in Diepenbeek, Belgium. Besides science, food has always been a hobby of mine. Combine that with my curious nature and biochemistry is what you get. It proved to be the right decision, especially regarding my internship at Kemin.

How did you find your way to Kemin?
Through my internship counselor I got hold of a list of companies offering internships. Kemin in Herentals was one of them and they had room for an exciting assignment on antioxidants. That definitely grabbed my attention, so I reached out to Kemin Food Technologies and soon found myself being interviewed by Ines Colle. It was a great talk and I knew right away Kemin was the place for me. I was given the choice to work on one of two assignments. One surrounding vegan burgers, the other one about antioxidants. I knew which one to pick, naturally.

How did you experience your Kemin internship?
It was a great experience. Of course, I felt a little nervous at first but it didn’t take long before I started to feel right at home. It continued in how I got to put all I had learned into practice. From antioxidant testing to thorough guidance and feedback during and outside of my assignment, I felt part of the team – for real. It helps that everyone has an open mind and remains susceptible to new ideas. That’s what makes Kemin a great company, regardless of the stage you find your career in.