Shannon Post

Before transferring to the University of Maine I discovered that the size of a school/program does matter when seeking an education. Back in 2002, I was looking for a school that offered a variety of classes, number of resources, larger facilities, and specialized professors. UMaine is just large enough to accommodate my interests in the field of horticulture, and still small enough to get hands on work experience and one on one discourse with the professors.

The horticulture program offers different concentrations which allows me to focus my horticultural interests by working with teachers specialized in those fields, and taking classes that really prepare me for my career beyond school. I like this program because it is relatively large, well organized, there's a multitude of teachers, and the program offers subjects specific to my interest. Since my arrival I've felt a great deal of support to pursue education out in the field through internships, encouraged to delve further in the topics that interest me, and found professors to be easily accessible. For all these reasons I am greatly enjoying my time at UMaine.

 Heather Gervais

I came to the University of Maine because it was close to home, my friends and family. The campus is rural, so there are plenty of places to enjoy outdoor sports in all four seasons. Also, the relatively small student population gives students a lot of one-on-one time with instructors.

It's easy to tailor your studies to what interests you. There are a lot of optional opportunities that students can take advantage of such as NE Grows and the Horticulture Club. The staff is very friendly and easy to work with.

  Maija Kaldro

I wanted to study at a New England school that offered a good Landscape Horticulture program, had a reasonable price for enrollment, and had a solid and competitive soccer program.  As it turned out...The University of Maine had a very good Landscape Horticulture program with different concentrations, including my main interest, design.  Not only that but the cost to go there was dramatically lower than most schools I had looked at. On top of that the soccer program was division I and very strong, like all the other sports and athletic programs on campus.

I thought it was great that an internship was required in this major, to really show students what their studies are all about.  In my case I continued to work for the people I began my internship with, and now that I have graduated I have a great job working for them full time!  I also met a lot of great people through my major and playing on the Women's Soccer team.  Balancing studies, a rigorous training schedule, and a social life while maintaining good grades proved I was capable of more than I ever thought.  The other thing about UMaine I loved was that I was meeting new people and making new friends all the way up until I graduated.  Unlike smaller schools where you feel you know everyone after your freshman year, Umaine is so big that you're always meeting new people.

 Craig Mitchell

When first deciding to come to UMaine, I was initially a engineering major.  Soon after orientation I realize that the landscape field was my niche.  I looked into the horticulture program at UMaine and discovered how much they had to offer,  such as the extensive design and plant identification courses.

UMaine has a lot to offer their students, such as their excellent location, the several organizations to be part of such as fraternities and sororities, the woodsmen team, and many more.  The Landscape Horticulture Program also had numerous opportunities to offer students, such as the horticulture club, trade show experiences, a large ornamental garden to study at on campus, and excellent field trips.

 Jayme Smith

I chose UMaine to study Landscape Horticulture because of it's location and for the facilities that students get to take advantage of, such as the greenhouses and the Littlefield Garden.

The Horticulture Program has a number of benefits, whether it be internships, guest speakers or fieldtrips, there are always opportunities to learn more outside of the classroom.  The amount of time each professor is willing to spend on an individual student is great as well.  All in all, I've had a great learning experience with UMaine and everyone in the Horticulture Program.