Featured Alumni: John Kelly
February 8, 2010 in 2-year, Alumni
Q: Was there a particular experience or two during your time in the Penn State Program that has had significant influence on your career?
A: Dr. Waddington said in our first class which was thirty-six of us that twenty or so of you in ten to fifteen years won’t be in the business. He was about right.
Q: Do you still maintain or utilize the relationships you cultivated during your time in the Penn State Program?
A: The first five years after graduation many students stayed in touch but after several started to obtain superintendent positions and moved to different locations around the U.S. communication dropped off. The November Turf Conference at Penn State and the GCSAA National Conference has been the place to catch up with old school mates.
Q: How do you think that the extended internship of the 2-year program at Penn State sets its interns apart from other universities?
A:I think it [the 6-month internship] is a very valuable experience to see all aspects of the operation from spring start-up to fall preparations. Students participating in shorter internships often get thrown into the mix without really understanding the reasoning behind what they are doing.
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