Advancement Board & Internship Report

LAEP Advancement Board 2018 Summary

By: Randy Jackson and Jay Bollwinkel USU LAEP Advancement Board Co-Chairs

As summer comes to an end the students who have had an internship this summer are thinking of gearing up for another year at LAEP. The Board’s Placement Committee has been hard at work and will be seeing the fruits of its efforts as the students return with a taste of what life in a real office environment is all about, including improved skills and knowledge of what employment could be. A lot of credit goes to Tanya Rice who was hired in part by funds from the Advancement Board to work with students to identify firms that have offered to host an intern, pairing them with students that have a desire to work in an office. Like many fellow interns, Jessica McGarvey praised Tanya’s help and direction, expressing her appreciation in finding an internship.

Here is a summary of placement highlights so far:

2018 BLA, MLA & MsBRP Graduates

- 16 Full Time Employment

- 5 Internships

2019 BLA, B+MLA, MLA, MsBRP

- 24 Internships

- 1 German exchange

- 1 Job search

2020 BLA & MLA

- 17 Internships

USU LAEP is Regaining its Stature as One of the Best Landscape Architectural Programs in the Country

To sum up – all juniors and sophomores from last year had an internship that wanted one. Only five students didn’t seek an internship. The goal of the Placement Committee is to find an internship for every student who wants one, which will give them a head start when it comes to finding full time employment. Thank you to all of the firms that hire USU LAEP interns. If you haven’t been hiring LAEP interns and want to get in the mix, please reach out to Tanya.

Development Committee – As we attended the awards ceremony last spring it was impressive to see how many scholarships were awarded to the students. Seven years ago when I, Jay, was helping my son get registered for the program there were only a couple of scholarship opportunities. This year there were a dozen or more scholarships awarded to deserving students mostly from funds raised by members of the Development Committee and Advancement Board. These alumni gifts are making a difference.

Thanks to all those that serve on the Advancement Board. Through your efforts LAEP is regaining its stature, and becoming one of the best landscape architectural programs in the country.

Student Internship Experiences

The last few months have been incredible in the wildest, most amazing ways possible, from exploring a new city to getting to work under some of the greatest landscape architects in the region.

- Alyson Hill

My internship has been a great learning experience and has helped me develop better communication and design skills.

- Drew Hill

I have learned more about the design process and about the behind-the-scenes work it takes to keep a firm going. I know that this experience has helped me become a more disciplined and cognizant designer.

- Cameron Blakely

I’ve gained skills in working the fine details of a site, such as material and form specifications. There is also the benefit of gaining real-world experience, which has enhanced my ability to communicate and understand the workflow of an office setting.

- Connor Hillman

Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning | InSites 2018