From Backyard Gardening to Degree by Lucy

From Backyard Gardening to Degree by Lucy - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I am planning on pursuing a degree in horticulture and hope to go into landscape architecture as a career. There are many reasons I have chosen this field of study and multiple past experiences that have led me to this choice. My family has had a garden for as long as I can remember, and I have helped with it my whole life. I love being able to go into our garden and pick a healthy snack that we have grown. It is also enjoyable to watch seeds grow and flourish in our backyard.

Recently I have gotten into flower arranging. I did research on the topic, then planted flowers that I knew were good for display. I was able to grow, prune, and eventually arrange and give away flower bouquets. I really enjoyed this process and hope to continue to do it in the future. I also have spent the winters propagating succulents and watching them grow from just a leaf. I love to give away these succulents as they bring others so much joy.

I have chosen to go into landscape architecture specifically, because I love art and designing. I have been crafting for years with various mediums and landscaping is just a bigger way to express myself through art. I would also love to be able to identify flowers and plants by sight. I enjoy hiking with my family and try to identify as many plants as I can both with and without an identification app. Being able to identify more plants and learn all about them would be amazing. Through this career path, I would be able to share my knowledge with others and help them find joy outside and spend time doing what I love.