January 21, 2026 – ADM’s Global Training Center in downtown Decatur is typically occupied with new front-line professionals who are learning practical job skills so that they can contribute the moment they step onto the floor at ADM’s Decatur operations. But in December, a different audience was welcomed to the center – students from Futures Unlimited High School.
Titled as an “ADM Day,” close to a dozen students were given an immersive company experience beginning with seeing the trading floor at the North American Headquarters followed by a complete tour of the ADM Decatur Complex, exploring the globe’s largest corn wet mill and ADM Transportation.
Cady Roberts, U.S. Commercial Director, Milling & Baking – Carbohydrate Solutions at ADM, played an integral part in coordinating the experience for the students, an idea that ironically began through a game of Bunco.
“Through my church, one of the members of our Bunco group is a teacher at Futures Unlimited who teaches ag science. We were looking for an opportunity to teach the students about agriculture in the community and create meaningful content for her students,” said Roberts. “We wanted to use this as an opportunity for the students to see practical applications, engage with our colleagues and learn about career pathway options.”
ADM colleagues Lisa Kitchens, Workforce Development Manager, North America HR Operations; Shannon Jedlicka, Training and Development Manager, Ag Services, ADM Transportation; and Brandon Rick, Fleet Manager, ADM Transportation, all played impactful roles in coordinating tours and providing important information for the students to make it a significant experience.
The Futures Unlimited program is an alternative education program providing guidance through various school-based and community-based programs. Students have the opportunity to earn their diplomas in an accelerated format and build academic and social skills.
To make the ADM Day as meaningful as possible, interactive experiences were implemented into the afternoon portion of the schedule. At the Global Training Center, students got to hear from Caleb Sexson, Director of North American Site Training, and engage with real equipment and tools that ADM trainees utilize in their roles.
Several ADM colleagues from all different fields including commercial, transportation, trading, plant operations and safety, were also on hand to take part in facility tours and roundtable discussions to help the students understand more about ADM as a company and their journey and various career pathway options. Roberts also showcased products that ADM had a hand in developing that are used in day-to-day life – a presentation that a number of the students found to be eye-opening.
“We want the students to know that there’s a place right here in their community for job opportunities. You have it right here in your backyard, and it was exciting to bring in our colleagues to share those testimonials, who have made a successful career with ADM,” said Roberts. “When we take them on the ‘ADM journey’ and when we are able to connect those dots, it makes it personal to them.”
For the students at Futures Unlimited High School, the experience provided a meaningful connection between classroom learning and real-world careers. Seeing ADM’s operations and hearing directly from employees helped bring potential career options to life and offered a clearer picture of what working in a global company can look like.
Melissa Larrison, Science & Consumer Education Teacher at Futures Unlimited, said the field trip was one of the best days the students have had during their high school years.
“In addition to providing concrete examples of attainable career opportunities, it opened the students’ eyes to a work-world where cooperation, respect and building relationships is the norm,” said Larrison. “I was so proud of them for recognizing the ADM employees’ interactions were an important lesson to take away from our experience. Every single member of the ADM team that interacted with our students did a fabulous job of breaking down the material in a way students could understand. Our students felt comfortable and encouraged throughout the day.”
Roberts added, “We hope to continue doing this more in the future and showing the students that you can be successful right here in your own community and showing what ADM means to Decatur. ADM is proud to partner with local schools like Futures Unlimited High School to help prepare the next generation for success.”
