From childhood visits to building her own future at J.D. Irving, Limited

As a child, Makayla Morrell regularly visited J.D. Irving, Limited's head office with her mother. Years later, she has come full circle. The fourth-year business student from Rothesay is now spending her second summer with JDI's Corporate Human Resources team. 

Now three generations strong, JDI has long been a part of Makayla's life. Her mother spent more than 20 years with the company, her father currently works at Irving Pulp & Paper and her grandmother also built her career with JDI. Those early visits to the head office provided a firsthand look at the organization she would one day join herself. 

"I remember coming into the home office at a very young age and being introduced to one of the vice presidents. They told me they looked forward to having me work for the company one day," she said. "Looking back now, it's pretty special to be here, years later, as a student employee." 

Today, she is creating her own path within the company as part of the Corporate Human Resources team, gaining hands-on experience and contributing to projects that have a meaningful impact across the business. What initially stood out for her was the level of trust placed in students. 

"When you're hired as a student, you don't think you're going to work on real projects," she said. "I had the opportunity to work on a large project that allowed me to collaborate with people from across the organization and see the impact of my work firsthand." 

Returning for her second summer, Makayla is building on her experience while exploring areas that align with her interests. This summer, she has supported a variety of projects, including communications initiatives and programs that support the overall student experience.  

For Makayla, the student experience has been defined by continuous learning, meaningful work and opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. 

"I get excited to come to work every day," she said. "If you're willing to put your hand up and take on new opportunities, people are willing to support you and help you learn." 

From childhood visits to contributing to projects that support employees across the organization, Makayla's journey reflects the impact of JDI's commitment to developing future talent. What began as a connection through family has evolved into an opportunity to build her own career.