Clara Schmidt | Food Science and Technology Major | Class of 2025
Edmonds, WA | Honorable Mention - Best Audio Talk/Entertainment Program - Division 1- CMA Pinnacle Awards 2023
@clara.schmidt17 | The Cheese Scale Podcast
Flavors & Frequencies
I have always been a major fan of food, whether eating it or making it. I'm often found in the kitchen, most of the time baking (or just experimenting) with new flavors and ingredients to share with friends. Outside of the food world, I enjoy knitting, embroidery, creative writing, and movies, especially romcoms. I am the host of an award-winning radio show called the Cheese Scale, where I watch and rate cheesy Hallmark romcoms based on what type of cheese I think they are. My show is part of KBVR, Oregon State's college radio station, and is a weekly highlight not only to me but also to my devout listeners! Initially, my show was meant to push me outside of my comfort zone, but it quickly transformed into a place where I could step away from being a student and share part of my personality with the community. Being part of KBVR not only helped me become more comfortable and confident in who I am, but has also given me opportunities to meet and interact with students that share the same love of music, and the desire to share it with the community.
Edible Equations
I didn't know that food science was even a thing until my junior year of high school when I signed up for it to avoid taking physics. And from the first day I was hooked! Food science is all about breaking down food and its many processes (like cooking or baking) into its chemical and biological components. Understanding the "why" behind simple questions like why cookies brown in the oven, how meringue maintains its shape, and why certain sauces have certain steps in a set order applies to my love for baking and cooking in a school setting. Food science is such a broad and expanding field, which is great for those of us exploring what we want to do. You can go into product development, making new ice cream flavors for Tillamook, you can help with quality assurance or food microbiology to ensure food is safe for consumers, and you can explore sustainable food packaging and other sustainability measures to help prevent food waste. It's a great community and major to be involved with. I would love to work with smaller companies; local businesses that focus on quality foods made from a sustainable source, and maybe even open up my own place someday. My biggest goal would be to help connect people more to the food science world. Connect people to food in a way they haven't been connected before.
Fields to Flavors
I've been working in the Center for Sensory and Consumer Behavior Research under Sue Queisser and Sara Maruyama since the spring of my freshman year. Helping to organize and run countless blind sensory consumer tests has helped me learn about the R&D side of Food Science, and taught me about the importance of being thorough and adaptable. I've been working in and out of food service jobs since high school, and have had the chance to work in fast food restaurants, under professional chefs, and in a kitchen serving 450 people. My love for food and working with it runs deep! My most recent internship was on a farm in LA, where I helped with the general upkeep of the farm and its animals, and contributed to the farm-to-table style by helping explore ways to reduce food waste. I also got the chance to teach kids about agriculture, farm-to-table cooking, and food science. The sensory lab, farm, and the countless kitchens I've worked in have taught me about so many different aspects of what food is and can be, and have inspired me to look for more opportunities working directly with food (and with the people around it). Being with people who appreciate food in its many aspects, and sharing my love for food with others, whether through science, research, or a simple loaf of bread is a big goal of mine.
Beyond the Major
Don't be afraid to pursue the things that make you happy and bring you joy. Whether career-based or not, it's important to maintain a balance of work and home life. Join a club or a class if you find it interesting, even if it doesn't fit into your career path. Pursue things that interest you, even if you are nervous about them. College is more than just studying, going to class, getting internships or research jobs that pertain to your major. As important as those things are it's important to remember that you are also human, and that means that there are going to be other things that interest you, and especially other things that bring you joy. Find those things, pursue those things. You won't regret it.
Mic & Mozzarella
When I initially started my radio show The Cheese Scale, I did it solely for the purpose of trying something new and having fun. I have always been a huge fan of rom coms, and have always had a small passion for creative writing. Being in a science-heavy major, I'm used to writing lab report after lab report, and my radio show was a chance to step away from beakers, lab coats, and milliliters of weak acids and just talk about another important aspect of who I am. And so when the manager of the station approached me last spring, saying that I should submit my radio show for a collegiate award, I didn't think anything of it. I recorded and submitted my show and two months later, I found out that I was selected as one of the finalists. Out of all the D1 college radio shows across the nation, I was a finalist. I remember being congratulated not only by friends but also by the other DJ's at KBVR and realizing that something I simply did for fun, something I did when I was truly myself people really enjoyed. People commented that I had a "natural radio voice" and that my creative writing style and humor were perfect for the radio and it helped me realize that being a college student doesn't mean that Food Science had to be my whole persona. College is all about exploring who you are and the things that you like and I did just that with my radio show. As much as I love Food Science and being involved with it where I can, I am allowed to be involved in other things outside of it, and KBVR became the perfect place to explore my passion for the radio. When I heard that I received an "Honorable Mention," I was still as shocked as when I first heard about my nomination. Somehow my weekly show about cheesy romcoms had landed in the top 6, D1 college radio shows across the nation. It helped me realize that being unapologetically myself brought me the most joy, and pushed me to be my best.