As a student at Mississippi State University, dual majoring in Landscape Contracting and Landscape Architecture, I knew interning at Yellowstone Landscape's Houston Central Branch for a second year in a row would be a great decision! Last year I worked with an Estimator and Project Manager and learned a great deal about the landscape industry. I came back because I wanted to learn from every job role and diverse experiences this company has to offer and Yellowstone made it happen. I worked with Project Managers, Designers, Business Development Managers, Estimators and the purchasing department. This summer I worked under Project Manager, Jose Gonzalez, who took me under his wing last year and placed a lot of trust in me to complete any given task. I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with and learn even more from him this summer.
One of the projects I worked on was Harries County Pct.1 Trail Improvement. This job included a trail install and improvements to four parks including the excavation of 4” of top soil, and installation of 80,000 linear feet of 4” edging, and 3,650 CY of decomposed granite. I took measurements to estimate material quantities for purchasing and assisted with the installation of edging, fabric and aggregate. The site is looking great and in a few months will be complete.
For my "Intern Project" I built a metal sign for an entrance enhancement at a quarry in Hondo Texas. To start, I cut out a sample letter from metal that we had in inventory and prepared it to show the owner to see if it fit his vision. After the design was approved, I looked at several vendors who could supply Corten steel and create the letters. The owner of the quarry had a boulder brought in for the letters to be mounted on and the finished product along with the plant materials looks amazing!
Working with Yellowstone Landscape this summer has improved my skill set in the field and in the office. I have been provided with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed professionally and I have gained a better understanding of what I want to do after graduation. I am very grateful for the opportunities provided to me by so many outstanding people and a great company!