You Never Stop Learning

Martha Hill, Hinds Community College

The seminar room is filled with company owners and managers, all taking notes and listening intently to the speaker. But wait, there’s a landscape professor among them, paying just as much attention and filling as many pages as other attendees. That would be Martha Hill, Chair of the Landscape Management Department at Hinds Community College in Jackson, Mississippi. She has been coming to GIC from the beginning, and even attended its precursor Green Team event while just starting her college teaching career.

“You never stop learning. If you do you might as well leave the industry,” said Hill, who is a PLANET Educator of the Year. “Education is such a big part of GIC both for me and my students. I get to stay in touch industry trends and learn more about the challenges companies are facing and how we can better prepare their future employees. For students, the seminars, including the broad topics they cover, provide an important overview of the industry and possible career choices. The trade show is also a learning experience for them.”

Education aside, GIC wouldn’t be what it is today without the relationship building that goes on, added Hill, who learned the value of networking while still in school at Mississippi State. At the time, she co-oped with Brickman, alternating working a semester for them and then attending classes for a semester. It was a great hands-on experience and opened some industry doors that would not have been there otherwise.

Hill usually takes somewhere between 12 to 15 students to GIC. Last year, several volunteered at PLANET Gives Back on Wednesday. The experience, she pointed out, gave them a chance to do something good for the community and work alongside industry professionals. The Student/Employer Roundtable Recruiting session held Friday was also invaluable, providing an opportunity to talk with industry recruiters.

This educator is one of many in horticulture and landscaping programs across the country who work tirelessly to bring together students and potential employers. She has managed her school’s internship program, and in 2003, Hinds Community College hosted PLANET’s Student Career Days.

“Several former students have launched their careers just by meeting recruiters both at GIC and at Student Career Days,” Hill remarked. “Another now owns a U.S. Lawns Franchise.” In addition to the education they receive and the networking they do, she hopes that GIC conveys another message to students, the value of giving back to the industry. Her students know that while at GIC, she’s involved with committees and other PLANET meetings. Hill is also on the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation board.

“Being engaged allows me to give back to the industry,” she emphasized. “I want to see my former students getting involved with PLANET and the industry.” Also on her bucket list is taking students to Washington, D.C. for Renewal and Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery and a Day on the Hill. The experience would further broader their education about the importance, yes, of giving back and becoming involved.