Students Working at Olds College

My name is Bobby-Joe Rovensky and I work in Student Recruitment at Olds College. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you Alyssa.

Alyssa is currently spending the summer working at Olds College in one of many student positions. Alyssa and I sat down together on July 7 to have a chat about what she does here in her current position and why she chose to attend Olds College. Here’s what she had to say:

Q: Where is your home town?
Alyssa: Olds, Alberta

Q: What is your current position?
Alyssa: Greenhouse Position – Summer Student

Q: Which program are you starting in the fall?
Alyssa: I have just graduated from the Production Horticulture diploma program and will be returning to start the Bachelor of Applied Science Production Horticulture degree.

Q: Why did you apply to work at Olds College for the summer?
Alyssa: I get to learn new stuff every day. Working in this position provides me with more experience and greater responsibilities. I do more than just water plants. Having worked a previous summer in the botanic gardens I knew what to expect and I knew that I would enjoy my time here. Also Olds College has an excellent reputation in the industry and this position will look attractive on my resume.

Q: What are some of your responsibilities?
Alyssa: Currently I work Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. My days consists of the following: opening duties, watering, visual inspection of crops (looking for infestations and/or diseases), completing sanitation processes, transplanting, seeding, mixing fertilizer, fungicide control, monitoring environmental controls (temperature, vents, etc.), regular greenhouse duties (tidying, garbage disposal, sweeping, etc.) and like every other job “other duties as required.”

Q: Why did you choose to attend Olds College?
Alyssa: To gain experience specifically in the area of growing cut flowers in a greenhouse. Olds College is close to home. There weren’t any overwhelming admission hurdles. The program is extremely hands on, and I learn better in this type of environment. Finally Olds College offered the program I was interested in. Production Horticulture education is difficult to find.

Q: What do you hope to do with your education in the future?
Alyssa: Ultimately my goal is to open my own business. I would like to purchase an acreage that will accommodate a number of greenhouses as well as outside plots where I will focus my efforts on producing floriculture crops. Ideally I would like to sell both retail and commercial product. It is important to me that my family be involved in this venture and like everyone else I endeavour to achieve financial stability with this enterprise.

Q: What are the best things about Olds College that you would like to share with others?
Alyssa: There is so much that we do every day that is hands on. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy this method of learning. In addition to the hands on learning, you are also exposed to real life learning. Field trips and actual case studies make what we do in the classroom feel real. The instructors are amazing. They are always willing to help and the small class sizes ensure that bonds are established. You aren’t just a number here. Also I appreciate not only the amount of education I am receiving but also the scope of my education. I will be leaving Olds College with a very well rounded knowledge of not only Production Horticulture but also the horticultural industry as a whole. Finally my last piece of advice would be if you wish to be successful in any industry you need to passionate about what you are doing and remember no education is ever wasted.

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Tagged as: Greenhouse, Horticulture