STUDENT SPOTLIGHT » Courtney Bivins

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT » Courtney Bivins

Nursery & Landscape Notes is introducing you to the next generation of green industry professionals by featuring current and recent college students with plans to pursue careers in the field.

Checking a plant, Aframomum melegueta, that is fed to the gorillas at the North Carolina Zoo. Student Profile

Name: Courtney Bivins Hometown: Trinity, NC College: University of Mount Olive (UMO), Randolph Community College (RCC) Graduation dates: UMO: 2023; RCC: TBD

Major/Area of Study: UMO: bachelor’s degree in plant sciences; RCC: certification in zoological horticulture

Horticulture-Related Places You Have Worked/Interned:

• Two summer internships at the Trinity

High School Greenhouses • Internship growing hydroponic lettuce at Ingram’s Strawberry Farm in High Point, NC (I was also hired to work there) • Internship at the North Carolina Zoo

Horticulture Department

Educating students about the hydroponic system during my internship at Ingram’s Strawberry Farm. We cut banana leaves to feed to the chimpanzees at the North Carolina Zoo.

How did you discover horticulture?

I first discovered my excitement for horticulture when I took an agriscience class during my freshman year at Trinity High School. After that, I took every agriculture and horticulture class the school offered. During my sophomore year, my horticulture teacher asked me to join the Introduction to Horticulture Career Development Event team for the area FFA chapter. And during my junior year, I joined the floriculture team.

What were your most valuable experiences, either in school or from other exposure to the industry, and why?

Internships provided my most valuable experiences in the field. During high school I had three internships: two in the greenhouses through Trinity High School’s Agriculture Department, and one growing hydroponic lettuce at Ingram’s Strawberry Farm. My most recent internship was this past summer with the North Carolina Zoo, where I worked in their Horticulture Department. All of these experiences helped me gain valuable knowledge about this field that I enjoy so much.

What were your favorite college classes, and why?

So far, I think my favorite college classes have been Horticulture Methods and Botany. The labs have been very helpful as well, providing hands-on opportunities to learn. I also enjoyed my internship class, during which I worked with the North Carolina Zoo. Really, though, I enjoy any class in which I am able to learn about plants.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to return to my hometown of Trinity and start my career in the Horticulture Department at the North Carolina Zoo.

What advice would you give to a student interested in the field?

First, this field takes a great deal of hard work and determination. Also, though, you will come across a lot of people who are willing to help you — be sure to take advantage of the oppor-

Taking cuttings and placing them into flats during a horticulture class at the high school.

tunities you are given, even if they are small, because those small opportunities can turn into much bigger things.

Fun question: What is your favorite plant, and why?

It’s hard to pick just one plant, as I think all plants are fascinating, but I would probably choose the prayer plant. Often mistaken for the calathea, the prayer plant isn’t a common species. Interestingly, at night its leaves begin to fold up in a process called nyctinasty, which is caused by changes in temperature or light intensity.

Sorting plants from a shipment during my internship at the high school.

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