Where are they now?
Aaron Steil - Class of 2007
Education & Plant Collections Coordinator
Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University
How has the Program benefited you in your career?
The Longwood Graduate Program’s fast pace and busy schedule were very beneficial in helping me prepare for a fast pace and busy job. I have essentially two different jobs at Reiman Gardens, Education Coordinator and Plant Collections Coordinator, and I have many different projects moving in many different directions. Managing all of these tasks and keeping it all organized is much like my experience juggling my thesis, classes, and many other projects while in the Program.
What is your favorite Longwood Graduate Program memory?
Our Tropical Internship to Brazil was my favorite memory of the Longwood Graduate Program. The new perspectives I gained on horticulture, public gardens, and the world were invaluable. The trip allowed me to see new and exciting things and meet people who look at the world differently, and that in turn allowed me to see the world from a different point of view. I will never forget the sights, the plants, and the friends I made on that trip.
Contact:
Liz Dolinar - Class of 1985
Director of Gardens
Felicita Resort, Harrisburg, PA
How has the Program benefited you in your career?
I think it helped at first more than now. I didn’t have a lot of work experience when I came out of the program, so having the degree from a well respected program helped.
What is your favorite Longwood Graduate Program memory?
The trip my class took through the southeast during Spring Break. I got to know Bob Hays ’85 (now deceased) so well during that trip and I will always be grateful for that. I still laugh at some of the running jokes we started on that trip, and Bob’s obsession with cutting the cross-shaped cake at a diner we stopped at on Easter Sunday!
