Growing up, I was involved in the landscape industry since a young age. During high school, I started my own lawn maintenance business around my area. At first, it was just a good way to make some money, but it ended up teaching me a lot about hard work, responsibility, and building relationships with customers. Reflecting on that now, I see those experiences helped shape my interest in an industry I can now see myself potentially building a career in. I am currently entering my junior year at Texas A&M University, where I study Industrial Distribution and spend my time outside of school involved in the men’s organization, Iron Spikes. This summer, I started an internship at Ewing Outdoor Supply, and over the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to learn different parts of the business. I’ve worked in the warehouse managing inventory, helped customers at the counter, learned about all the products we offer, and assisted with branch operations. Being able to see the industry from this side has shown me how much opportunity there is for people who are willing to work for it. One of the biggest reasons I enjoy the landscape industry is the people. Every day I meet new contractors, landscapers, and business owners who I’ve observed almost all take pride in what they do. A lot of them started with very little and built successful businesses over time through hard work and determination. The conversations I’ve had with a lot of the customers have honestly taught me just as much as the job itself. For example, one conversation that really stuck out to me was when I was helping a customer load PVC pipe into his trailer and I asked him how he got to where he is today. He told me he originally started working for someone else’s lawn company and was making just enough to get by. Eventually, he said he decided to start his own cement company with $50 in his bank account. He told me last year he made over half a million dollars with two guys working under him. What stood out to me wasn’t the money, but his explanation of how he got to this point. It had nothing to do with the college he went to or whether he was the smartest person in the room, but it came down to him being hard-working, honest, and treating people the right way. That conversation made me recognize that in this industry, hard work and good character go a long way. As I continue my education and gain experience in this industry, my goal is to pursue a career in sales and eventually work towards owning my own business. Through my internship at Ewing, I’ve learned how important it is to build strong relationships and help customers to the best of my ability that allows them to be successful. I hope to make a difference in the landscaping industry by being someone customers can trust and look to for advice. Whether that’s helping a contractor grow their business, improving relationships with customers, or creating opportunities for others like the industry is doing for me, I want to contribute to the growth of the industry. Receiving the Ray W Bausick Green Industry Memorial Scholarship would not only help me continue my education, but it would also encourage me to keep pursuing a career in an industry that has already taught me so much about hard work, integrity, and opportunity.