OTC Turf and Landscape Management Students Compete at National Competition

Six students from Ozarks Technical Community College’s Turf and Landscape Management program recently traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete against nearly 70 other colleges and universities at the 34th annual Student Career Days, an event sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).  Several students brought home honors from what is informally known as the “Landscaping Olympics.”

Michelle Jernigan, from Nixa, earned 5th place in the Safety Management competition and 11th place in the Leadership Skills contest, while Vicki Baumer, from Hartville, placed 8th in the Annual and Perennial Identification contest.  Baumer, Kyle Kinney of Macks Creek, and Mike Cannon of Lebanon placed in the top 10 percent of the 814 college students competing in these events. 

Others attending the Student Career Days Competitions included Aaron Powell, from West Plains, Terri Howard, from Mount Vernon, and OTC instructors Rob Flatness, from Willard, and Danelle Maxwell, from Walnut Grove.  The four-day event also included student workshops and a career fair centered on opportunities in the landscaping industry.

OTC was the only competing school from the state of Missouri.  Other institutions participating in the 2010 Student Career Days included: Auburn University, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Clemson University, Colorado State University, Columbus State Community College, Eastern Kentucky University, Illinois State University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Michigan State University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, North Carolina State University, North Georgia Technical College, Oregon State University, Purdue University, University of Delaware, University of Georgia, and West Virginia University.