Passion for the landscape industry is what 781 students from 56 different colleges had in common with the representatives of 86 various industry brands during the 50th National Collegiate Landscape Competition, presented by NALP and powered by STIHL.
Hosted at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, students and landscape professionals started the day off strong with the new Career Development Networking breakfast, where they shared their career goals and real-world wisdom with one another on Thursday, March 19.
Rider Heckman, a second-year landscape and plant production major at Pennsylvania College of Technology, says he liked this new event as it was relaxed and a good way to start the day.
“You can break the ice instead of coming right in here and talking to other companies right off the bat,” Heckman says. “You ease your way in. It was very nice.”
Additionally, the NALP Foundation celebrated 86 scholarship recipients from 47 different schools during the Foundation Scholarship Recognition breakfast. In total, this year, 97 recipients were awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships.
“The opportunity to just be able to apply for so many scholarships and get the recognition that I think a lot of students are really looking for, and then alleviate some of that financial burden is huge,” says Will Reynolds, a sophomore environmental horticulture major with a concentration in landscape design and contracting at Colorado State University.
Keynote speaker Ben Harcey, director of services at Designs By Sundown and a past scholarship recipient, encouraged students to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
After breakfast, students put Harcey’s advice to the test at the career fair.
First-time attendee Katie Reiff, a first-year landscape and plant production technology major at Pennsylvania College of Technology, says the career fair pushed her out of her comfort zone, but it was worth it for the networking opportunity.
“If you spend all your time in the classroom, your grades are great,” Reynolds says. “That’s one thing, but building a connection is what’s going to take you the furthest. It’s your network. For me, the number one thing that stands out at NCLC is just the network that you’re able to build.”
NCLC’s career fair often is an eye-opening experience for students, as they are unaware of just how many different career paths and companies are available.
First-time attendee Landon Stuhlsatz, a junior plant science major at the University of Missouri, says one thing that stood out to him was how all the companies at the career fair really want you to come work with them.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Stuhlsatz says. “I’ve had career fairs at Mizzou, but I’ve never seen many companies just here for one industry.”
Hayden Braken, a senior horticulture greenhouse production major at Kansas State University, says it means a lot to her that the different companies are genuinely interested in recruiting students right out of college.
Many students approached the career fair with different goals, with some seeking internships or full-time employment opportunities, while others sought out business advice and to build their network.
Sarah Robbins, a junior landscape systems major at Brigham Young University, says with an internship already lined up, she used the career fair to seek out a full-time position once she graduates next April.
“I’m looking to network and learn about the different companies and look for the possibility of mostly or partially remote work, because I want to be a mom, so I want to be able to work, but also be a mom and find that balance,” Robbins says.
Robbins says she’s also been listening to others’ stories who are in the industry to get a better idea of what she’d like to do.
“You don’t see something like this in a lot of different industries,” Robbins says. “You can tell that they really care about you, they want you to succeed, and they’re so willing.”
Heckman says he’s appreciated the learning opportunities the career fair provides.
“I talked to tons of other developers of their own software,” Heckman says. “I talked to a bunch of owners. I heard all their stories of how they started and grew as a business. I learned their marketing strategies, how they train their people, all kinds of different processes that are going to help me grow my own.”
Reynolds says because he already secured an internship and will be the president of the Student Organization of Landscape Design and Contracting for Colorado State next year, he spent the career fair networking and seeking out new landscape companies to visit and present on different topics at Colorado State.
“As the president, I can say, here’s a company that you haven’t seen before that has skills that you may not have been able to give the opportunity to learn anywhere else,” Reynolds says.
The landscape companies that attend the NCLC career fair benefit equally from networking with students. Not only are they able to find internship candidates, potential job candidates and increase their brand awareness, they are often reinvigorated by the passion of the students.
“I’ve been here for 30 years, and to see these kids, they all have this interest in creating beauty outside,” says Steve Klecan, director of early talent with Ryan Lawn & Tree, based in Merriam, Kansas. “It’s a synergistic effect when we talk to these kids. It re-energizes us as a company as well.”
Chris Lee, president of EarthWorks, based in Lillian, Texas, says after attending for the first time last year, his eyes were opened the world of young people who are excited about landscaping and horticulture.
“Before we saw the first actual event, we decided, ‘Yeah, we have to be here next year,’ and we have to bring a team, and we need a booth, and this is the path.”
He says they plan to return year after year, as this is the right way for them to recruit and build a pipeline. Lee says there is tremendous value in attending NCLC, as there is nowhere else to find this quantity of quality candidates in one spot.
“You’d literally have to go to 50 school career fairs to do what you can do in one day,” Lee says. “It’s kind of a no-brainer. It’s the most efficient and effective way to do something like this.”
Similarly, first-time attendee Alan Horticulture, LLC, based in Bartlett, Illinois, has been blown away by what they’ve seen.
“I love it,” says Stephanie Serbedzija, an account manager with Alan Horticulture. “We’re coming back next year, and pretty much you will see us here year after year because these kids are so bright. They’re so professional.”
Serbedzija says students who visited their booth had their resume in hand and asked lots of great questions.
“I was kind of ready for kids to come grab some swag and run away, but they were utilizing two ears and one mouth, and they were all open to hearing a little bit more about us and the different avenues in this industry,” Serbedzija says
Klecan encourages other companies to come to NCLC. He acknowledges that it is a time commitment, but participating companies are exposed to new ideas from students and industry peers when they attend.
“If we can continue as an industry to support NCLC, that’s going to help the industry out,” Klecan says. “In itself, there is going to be more excitement, there’s going to be more passion, there’s going to be more energy. That’s only going to help these kids out, too.”
Thank you to our elite partners STIHL, Stanley Black & Decker, Caterpillar and Aspire for supporting this event. Additionally, thank you to our Gold Partners, John Deere and Mariani Premier Group, and all the other industry partners who help make NCLC possible.
