Reflections from the Field: A Mathematician’s Take on Aquaculture Finance

 

Interning at AXP Agriventures Inc. under Michigan Solutions and Supply Inc. was a journey I didn’t expect to go the way it did. As someone who thrives in analysis and solving math problems, I thought the experience would be all about Excel sheets and formulas. It turns out, it was also about unexpected bus rides, working solo, realizing I forget names too easily, and even rethinking what “professionalism” means to me.

​

My main responsibility as a data analyst was to analyze and interpret farm and accounting data—whether it came from the Zambales farm manager or was routed through the accounting office. Most of my time was spent creating dashboards, ranking pond performance, computing profitability metrics, and exploring farm design issues. I remember starting with computing incentives (Week 1) and eventually diving into deeper performance evaluations (Week 2), profitability by month and pond size (Week 3), and even mapping out how rainfall affected shrimp survival (Week 4). My only real expectation was to have kind coworkers—and in that regard, the internship exceeded what I hoped for. Although it was a bit sad being the only intern, and the first ever one at that, the kindness of the team made up for the solitude. Still, it would’ve been nice to bond with someone my age about formulas and shared commutes.

 

As a math major, I honestly didn’t expect the gap between theory and practice to be this wide—but I saw how much of what we learn is applicable. The courses I took like MATH 101, MATH 174, and AMAT 175 gave me the foundation to understand the patterns hidden within shrimp production data. In practice, statistical tools were my closest friends. Whether I was computing profit per kilo, normalizing Z-scores to evaluate consistency, or interpolating missing values (because, yes, some data came half-baked), I found myself leaning on my mathematical instinct more than I realized. Creating Excel formulas and pivot tables felt like writing mini-code. In Week 2, I even debugged an entire spreadsheet full of #SPILL! errors and structured ranking systems that skipped “total” rows. Small thing, but it felt like a win.

 

In terms of software, there wasn't a new mathematical model I had to learn—but I was introduced to Xero, an accounting tool. While it wasn’t exactly math-heavy, it gave me a peek into how numbers become decisions and help the company to know what is the next move to do. I didn’t use it deeply yet, but being exposed to its interface and function helped me connect accounting, agriculture, and analytics in a more realistic way.

​

Every project I worked on benefited from my math background—but if I had to choose one that really stood out, it would be the seasonal profitability and pond size analysis from Week 3. That report was my baby. I grouped ponds by distance from the sea and was surprised to find that the ones farther away actually performed better. The insights helped us identify overlooked inefficiencies. I was proud of how I approached that task—balancing logic, hypothesis testing, and even challenging initial assumptions.

 

This internship changed my idea of what professionalism is. I used to think it just meant someone wearing blazers and speaking in a structured tone. But for me, it started with small things—like buying better clothes, learning how to greet supervisors and colleagues with a smile and confidence, and showing up early even though it took three hours to get to the office in Makati (thank God for those remote work days). I began speaking more clearly, writing more thoughtfully, and choosing my words carefully when presenting ideas.

​

Time management is the soft skill I improved the most. Before this, I was the type to walk into class two minutes before it started. But this time, I had to plan whole mornings in advance just to get to the site. Communication also improved. My supervisor was the type who gave clear directions and fast feedback—which helped me speak up more, especially when I didn’t understand something. She was approachable, which made me realize that being “aloof” doesn’t help build relationships at work. I started putting in effort to be more present and participative.

​

This experience also clarified some things about my career goals. I came in just wanting to “know what I want”—and now I do. I want to work in analytics, wherever that may take me. I don’t really mind the industry, whether it’s aquaculture, finance, or something else. As long as I can analyze, discover patterns, and make data meaningful, I’ll be happy. I’m more open now to attending analytics seminars, and honestly, I would consider working with this company again—especially with the head start it gave me.

One thing I’m most proud of is the seasonal profitability analysis I mentioned earlier. It took time, but it mattered. It wasn’t just for a grade or a requirement—it was to improve how a real farm works. And that’s something I’ll carry with me.

​

If I could start the internship again, I would jot down my coworkers’ names better (I kept forgetting and was too shy to ask again—my bad). Also, I would probably review Excel dashboards or take a crash course in data visualization, just to level up my output earlier on.

​

As a student, I’ve changed. I now have a more concrete idea of what I want and how to get there. And as a future professional, I’ve realized that it's not always about being the smartest in the room—it’s about being reliable, open to feedback, and consistency.

​

The most valuable lesson I learned? Simple: Ask and respond. Ask when you’re unsure, and respond when others reach out. You don’t have to know everything—you just need to be engaged, responsible, and curious.