Visit Pennsylvania College of Technology's Schneebeli Earth Science Center in Allenwood, and main campus in Williamsport, during the College's Open House on Saturday, March 24. This is an excellent opportunity to see the full campus in action, meet faculty and staff, and view student projects.

If you know anyone interested in studying landscaping and horticulture, please suggest that they visit Penn College's Open House. Register online at www.pct.edu/openhouse.

What kind of work do you do for Denison?
At Denison my job title is Residential Design/Build Project Manager. Essentially, I design and sell residential landscapes, hardscapes, and almost any other outdoor feature. My scope of work can range from installing one shrub or tree to landscaping entire newly built homes. I receive 'estimate requests' from our department head that were filled out by prospective clients. I then call, set up a consultation, and meet their needs accordingly. If I do sell the client on the work it is then that my job shifts from sales person to project manager. I now have to logistically figure out the most efficient way to complete my job. From staffing the project, coordinating materials and physically getting there and back in a timely fashion are all parts that affect our bottom line. Once the job is complete it is my job to collect the balance. Simply put, I see any job from start to finish, from selling to billing.

How did Penn College prepare you for your career?
Penn College put me one step ahead of all my peers coming into this line of work, and I truly believe that. Penn College not only gave me the knowledge I needed to be able to sell and troubleshoot landscape problems, it went beyond. Without the immense knowledge I gained at PCT, I would have constantly been one step behind. I'm proud to say that I'm a PCT grad, and I'm confident that my education will constantly keep moving in a positive direction in this industry.

If you are planning to attend the Pennsylvania Garden Expo, February 24-26 at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, stop by Penn College's booth and visit with our faculty and staff. More information about this event is available on the PA Garden Expo website.

Two associate-degree landscape/horticulture students at Penn College each received $1,250 scholarships during the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association Foundation's recent member-celebration dinner at the Lancaster Convention Center. The scholarships – awarded to Kelsey R. Bromm, of Fountainville, and Matthew D. Lowe, of Lancaster – honor the students' academics, ability to apply knowledge gained to real-life situations, personality and willingness to continue in the green industry. Read PCToday for additional information about the PLNA Foundation scholarships.

This past fall, students in Dennis Fink's Containerized Plant Production class visited Van Hoekelen Greenhouses in the McAdoo, PA, area. Van Hoekelen is the largest of grower of containerized flowering bulbs in the Northeast. They produce nearly 7 million pots of flowering bulbs and more than 15 million flowering cut bulbs each year. They also produce 350-400 thousand containers of poinsettias and millions of varieties of other holiday flowers.

The group was hosted by Tim Martonik '85, Penn College (Williamsport Area Community College) Floriculture graduate. Tim is the head grower and the number two person in charge, next to the owner, for the entire business. Tim credits his success to his education here at the College.

The students enjoyed a personalized tour, including meeting the owner, and had the opportunity to ask many questions and get in-depth first hand insight into what it takes to manage a greenhouse operation of this size.