United Way: Positive Communities Have Social Capital

from Business Connection • June 2022

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College Connect

Storm Lake grad plants seeds of success at Iowa Central

When Holly Dierenfield of Storm Lake graduated High School, she knew her path. “There is a lot that Iowa Central offers that made my decision to go there an easy one, including the Turfgrass Management program and opportunity to play softball,” says Dierenfield who just completed her freshman year as a Triton.

As an athlete for the majority of her life, Dierenfield has spent countless hours outside. On the field. In the dugout. Practices and day-long tournaments. She loves to be active outdoors. Besides softball, she enjoys outdoor recreation activities too. “Growing up in Storm Lake, it was easy to spend time doing things outside like fishing, boating, paddle boarding, and golfing,” recalls Dierenfield.

Post-graduation, she wanted to dig into a career that combined nature and the outdoors. A job that involved hands-on work where you can enjoy the beauty of the Mid-West scenery up close and not from the window of an office building. “The Turf Grass Management program combined many of the areas I am interested in,” says Dierenfield who is currently doing her summer internship with a Storm Lake nursery. “Some of the projects we worked on during my freshman year at Iowa Central was doing landscape updates at the Willow Ridge Golf Course and building a green house.”

With an outdoor classroom, she was free to learn in her preferred environment and focus on projects that make an immediate impact, like fixing a block retaining wall and beautifying the golf course with plants and flowers. “One of my favorite things we learned was about different plantings and which trees, shrubs and flowers grow best in which types of areas. Iowa weather works well for some plants, but not everything!”

This fall, Dierenfield will return to the Fort Dodge campus for her sophomore year and complete the Turfgrass Management program. “I highly recommend Iowa Central to other students looking to start college. The school is a great size, not too big and not too small, and it’s really affordable. The bonus is all of the activities on campus which makes it easy to meet new people and make new friends,” notes Dierenfield.

The Turfgrass Management program is offered on the Fort Dodge campus and taught by Mr. Scott Birdsell. For more information reach out to Ali Lovin with the Iowa Central Advising team at 515-574-1283 or check out https://www.iowacentral.edu/business/turfgrass/index.asp.

TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Turfgrass Management program includes topics of interest in Turfgrass Management, Pesticide Application, Irrigation Systems, Landscaping, Soils, and Plants. Students are able to learn on campus by utilizing the different Iowa Central facilities such as the athletic complexes, residential life building landscaping, as well as general field and campus landscaping maintenance. Students gain valuable knowledge

and experience to be able to maintain personal residences, golf courses, athletic fields and parks.

A second option of study allows students to take the four core Turfgrass Management Classes: Principles of Horticulture, Woody Plants and Trees, Herbaceous Plant Materials, and Landscape Design Techniques I. The student will also take general education classes, such as Biology, Chemistry, Finite Math, Economics and Western Civilization, which allows each student to start in the Turfgrass Management program at a university.

This program will give the students hands-on experience of taking skills learned in the classroom directly to Willow Ridge Golf Course in Fort Dodge for implementations.

To learn more about the Iowa Central Turfgrass Management program, check out their website at https://www.iowacentral.edu/business/turfgrass/index.asp or reach out to Ali Lovin with the Iowa Central Advising team at 515-574-1283.