NHS Soccer Player, Braden Cofer, Interns at Darlington Snacks
Writer / Matt Keating
Braden Cofer has a strong interest in food science and has strived to get a head start on his future career plans.
Cofer truly exemplifies a perfect example of a hard-working, industrious student.
“I am currently involved as an intern for Darlington Snacks,” Cofer says. “It’s a food company that specializes in making healthy, delicious cookies and crackers for schools, nursing homes and retail stores nationwide.”
Cofer, a senior at Noblesville High School, has enjoyed learning more about an industry that strongly intrigues him.
“I am currently shadowing Justin Miller, the Vice President of Baking at Darlington Snacks,” Cofer says. “Darlington is headquartered in Noblesville, with a manufacturing and processing plant in Joplin, Missouri.”
Cofer, a hard worker, has already learned a lot that will help him down the road.
“It’s a unique internship because there is a lot of hands-on experience, where I get to learn various aspects of the food industry,” Cofer says. “I get to look at how the products are made, the designing of the shapes and flavors of the products and the marketing side of Darlington. I plan to major in Food Science at Purdue University.”
Darlington Snacks, 8001 E. 196th Street, Noblesville, is a family-owned commercial bakery providing pre-baked, packaged snacks to the food service and retail industries.
Cofer says their snacks include Whole Grain Iced Apple and Whole Grain Iced Cinnamon Breakfast Squares, a wide range of cookies and crispies, crackers and other snacks.
Cofer says that the company’s employees work hard to provide innovative, convenient, shelf-stable, baked goods of the highest quality and taste experience to the food industry.
He has treasured his experience with Darlington Snacks.
“I really like how I’m constantly learning new things every time I go in there,” Cofer says. “I get to learn the process involved with developing the flavors for their cookies and crackers, comparing other products to Darlington and seeing how they are alike and different from other producers and just getting to look at the different components of the food industry.”
When he’s not doing school work or interning at Darlington Snacks, Cofer is busy enjoying sports.
“I’m a part of the boys varsity soccer team at Noblesville High School,” Cofer says. “My only hobby is pretty much soccer because it is such a big time commitment playing five to six days a week.”
Cofer adds that he loves living in Noblesville, especially with how supportive the city’s residents are to each other.
“The thing I enjoy most about Noblesville is the sense of community that you feel around the city,” Cofer says.
