Preparing to Be an Industrial Chemist

Mallory Messin Humbert ’13, account manager at Tetra Pak, knew that Grinnell’s general science major was the best way to study chemistry while pursuing her other passions — playing golf and studying abroad. 

“I knew three things going into my first year of college,” Humbert says. “I wanted to study chemistry, I wanted to play on the golf team, and I wanted to study abroad.” 

To accommodate these three priorities while also allowing herself time to explore her interests in art and art history, Humbert chose to major in general science with a chemistry concentration. 

“With Grinnell being such a small school, scheduling of upper-level classes can be tough if you go abroad,” she says. “Becoming a general science major with a concentration in chemistry gave me many more class and scheduling options as well as opening up my eyes to subjects I may not have taken otherwise.”

Humbert recommends the general science major to students who like science but aren’t yet sure which science is the right fit, or to students who could benefit from more scheduling flexibility than a traditional science major provides. However, she cautions that the flexibility of the major can be a double-edged sword. While Grinnell grads are highly desired by graduate schools, students thinking of grad school should research prerequisites of their programs of interest.

After graduating from Grinnell, Humbert began working as an industrial chemist. She now works at a dairy filtration company, where she hopes to stay and become a specialist in the industry. “A broad background in science as well as the liberal arts education which included communication and writing skills are all important aspects of how I have been successful in my career,” she says.