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Student to student
Kyle Bymaster's job as a teaching assistant for agricultural economics professor David Downey opened more than classroom doors for him.
In Downey's advanced sales and marketing course, Bymaster coached a team of students that was developing a presentation for an audience of corporate executives. It turned out that he was learning right along with the students. “Each team averaged 40 to 50 hours of work on the project,” says the agricultural economics and agribusiness management major. “I had to interact with several people at one time and work with each one to schedule meetings and activities around busy schedules. At the end, it was very fulfilling to see my team present in a boardroom and ‘wow' corporate executives.”
"This job opened several doors of opportunity for me after graduation,” Bymaster continues. “The reputation of the course and Professor Downey's name carried weight on my résumé, but I also gained experience in a real working environment, something employers look for.” The experience didn't go unnoticed. The December graduate was hired by Purdue's Office of University Development as associate director of annual giving for young alumni and parents.
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Public horticulture major Laura Aschenbeck spent many hours in the greenhouse, nurturing some 2,000 poinsettia seedlings in preparation for the National Poinsettia Cultivar Trial, which Purdue hosts each year. ( Photo by Tom Campbell) |
Red, white and pink
Laura Aschenbeck was surrounded by radiant red, white and pink as she helped the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture prepare for the National Poinsettia Cultivar Trial at the Purdue greenhouses last winter.
Aschenbeck worked with greenhouse supervisor Rob Eddy to ensure that the holiday favorites for this annual competition were of the best quality. “Watching 2,000 plants mature from tiny seedlings in August to a vast array of color just in time for the holidays was definitely a gratifying experience,” says the sophomore public horticulture major from Newark, Ohio.
A greenhouse employee since her freshman year, Aschenbeck has learned a lot about plant care and growth. “Getting hands-on experience from day one gives her an understanding of the challenges of plant growth,” Eddy says. “She's also learned good decision-making strategies, such as how to think through a situation.”
During summer break between her freshman and sophomore years, Aschenbeck worked at Baker's Acres in Alexandria, Ohio, where she transferred skills she had learned at Purdue's research facility to a commercial setting. Her experience also introduced her to the public horticulture industry, a field in which she plans to make a career.
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