"Nothing will work unless you do" — Maya Angelou
Work Experience
Two internships, one co-op, and university work study, these were all wonderful opportunities I've had to gain new skills, make connections, and have fun. Below is a reflection of what I have been up to these past few years, listed from most recent to least. Only interested in my job title and tasks performed? See my resume here.
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CO-OP
As someone who never visited any Disney parks or resorts as a child, the phrase "Disney Magic" always seemed a bit silly to me. Then, I worked at Living with the Land. Making Magic is a skill, especially when your core demographic is kids and the ride has an educational theme. There's a lot of planning that goes into what plants are grown, where they're grown, and why they're being planted instead of something else. Greenhouse space is sparse, and integrated
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Working at the longest-running Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond property in the world provided me valuable insight into the horticulture side of the hospitality industry. From floral design, to watering, to planting for natural stressors, my eye for detail has been greatly sharpened. Beforehand, I wouldn't have noticed when flowers were just beginning to reach the end of their blooming stage.
Internship
I couldn't recognize the difference between thrip, hail, budworm, or deer damage. Now, I am able to differentiate between all of them; but most importantly, I understand the role horticulture plays in hospitality. I've lost count of how many guests would stop me to chat about the flowers: keeping deer away, fertilizers, varieties, everything. The first thing a guest sees before they get to their hotel room is the landscape. We (horticulture teams) set the tone for a guest's entire visit. We're the first and last thing they'll ever see at a hotel, resort, villa, museum, park, etc. I take pride in that.
pest management practices are a must. Planning for produce harvest happens at least a week in advance, and festival planning can take anywhere from 1-3 months. Getting to peek behind the curtain and get a firsthand experience of the time, energy, and dedication, that goes into 1 singular ride at 1 of 4 parks, of 12 theme parks, and 6 worldwide campuses, was eye-opening. Living with the Land is an everyday operation, and for me, it was very informative. ​Covering the greenhouse in Christmas lights; harvesting Carolina reapers to make spicy wings during Food and Wine festival; raking my footsteps out the sand so guests aren't distracted; encouraging kids to learn more about plants; It all contributed to my Disney experience. I started my co-op not knowing what to expect and left wishing it had never ended. ​It's cliche, but for me, the real Disney Magic was the journey along the way.
Work-Study
Is there a better way to practice communication skills than work one on one with clients looking brainstorm, check grammar, format papers, review dissertations, cite sources, practice english and persuade others? Probably not. This job has taught me more about active vs passive voice, making suggestions without sounding accusatory, boosting confidence, and encouraging others, than any job I've ever worked at.
Our clients aren't the only ones receiving assistance either. The more strategies I learned to become a better consultant, the more my communication skills outside of work improved. Every "active vs passive" and "high vs low concern" module I took, was an added skill I could use in my own writing. The University Writing Center was the second on-campus job I'd ever worked after quitting the first over a lack of oversight. When I started this job sophomore year, I didn't know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when I was informed during the interview process that my first few weeks would be spent shadowing others and completing online training. It was the complete opposite of my first job and everything I could have hoped for. Those first few weeks eased me in to an environment where both the client and consultant were a priority. Three years later and the comprehensive trainings, reliable admin, and ability to make a direct impact on students lives have kept me here. Every semester I learn something new, and that's just a bonus to working an awesome job.
Internship
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This is a BEAUTIFUL Arboretum, and everyone should visit at least once.
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​When I first entered Texas A&M as a Horticulture major, I decided I would go on at least three internships to get a feel for the Horticulture industry. One internship should be government related, another should be a private or publicly traded
company, and the last one should be research oriented(more on that here). By some stroke of luck and a very oddly worded cover letter, I was accepted to intern at the US national Arboretum in Washington D.C. in the summer of 2023. Since this was my first internship, I had nothing to compare it against. Now however, I can see how it differs from others. I was one of two people assigned to a 32 acre swath of land, Asian collection. The other person was the collection manager. Each collection got one intern for an Arboretum that spans a total of 451 acres. The freedom this internship provided was unmatched, but the learning curve was high. There is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape in a government job that significantly slows things down. When a mini truck broke at the Broadmoor, it was replaced. When we ran out of pruning shears at Disney, they bought more. At the Arboretum, that quick turnaround wasn't there. When I was assigned my mini-truck, it was three weeks later than originally intended; the truck had been in the shop. Upon getting it I realized two things, the truck was old, and I would have to be very careful driving it. My collection manager confirmed as much when he warned me that if I happened to puncture a tire driving the very narrow walking paths of the collection, that tire may not be replaced until well after my internship ended. Additionally, all the mini-trucks were manual gear, which we did received training for on the job. However, trying to drive carefully while learning how to drive in a collection that required maneuvering off-road, and in very tight conditions, was like trying to learn how to swim in the dark.
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Despite that, I can confidently say this was the most satisfying internship I worked at. I could see the dedication and ingenuity of every staff member to overcome budgetary, environmental, and staffing limitations. This internship pushed me out of my comfort zone and impressed upon me a heightened sense of responsibility and accountability. I had to think critically and act on it. What was the best way I could complete a task, in the least amount of time, using the least amount of energy? When I was working individually the question became "what needs to be done?" I learned how to zoom out and consider the bigger picture. I learned how to use a chainsaw, and leaf blower, and ID wasps nests before they decided to sting me. I learned about germplasm conservation, why it's important, and the role the USNA plays in that. I saw the inside of a herbarium for the first time and learned how to use a new database. I explored public transit and visited national landmarks. I saw trees I never even knew existed, and one of them, Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'pendulum', is my favorite tree now. I got better at pruning, and driving, and directions, and plant ID, and watering, and propagating, and tracking and - I changed.
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I left for D.C. in the summer of 23' green behind the ears, and came back with green thumbs instead.
