The following guest post was written by Holly, about her internship experience with us this summer.
I came to the Yellowstone Landscape Port St. Lucie Branch looking for a broad experience to learn from and develop professionally within the green industry. What intrigued me about this internship was the “rotational schedule” and the ability to gain knowledge from every department within a very successful, large-scale, commercial business. As a student at the University of Florida, I have found hands-on experience and direct communication to be the most rewarding and beneficial form of learning.
This summer, my goal was to learn by first-hand exposure and experience. Working daily with my Mentor, Anthony, who was previously a Landscape Designer and now an Account Manager, has been beyond valuable. I have observed and better understand the relationship between design and the operations and management of the landscape. Being able to lean on the rotational schedule and spend time with the other Account Managers, Office Manager, Landscape Designer, and the maintenance crews gave me insight to the full-scale of Yellowstone’s operations. Not only that, but the Intern Symposium gave me the opportunity to meet with and ask direct questions to the President and CEO of the company and hear the advice they had to offer us. I am also grateful for the opportunity to network with the 18 other interns from around the country at this event and make lifelong professional connections.
My most valuable experiences have been “design” focused. Visiting properties to meet clients, analyzing future enhancements, and estimating materials for proposals were beyond helpful lessons. I discovered my passion for helping clients make their outdoor space feel more personal and functional, all the while I was learning and being quizzed on plant identification skills by my mentor. Also, spending a few days with the regional Landscape Designer has been invaluable. We traveled throughout South Florida inspecting previous enhancements on amazing properties and working on new projects.
Being able to ask questions and put myself in a position to learn as much as I could has been priceless. Looking back on my experiences, I would say this time allowed me to gain life lessons times three, you never know what skills you may need to pull out of your toolbox. By having realistic conversations with my mentor about his experiences and developing his career, I have grown intellectually and strengthened my skillset by understanding the domain of multi-disciplinary backgrounds in the landscape industry. I’m beyond grateful to Anthony and the entire Port St. Lucie team who played a vital role in the learning process and provided me with a greater understanding of this industry.