January 2020 - 18

2020 GPN/NEXUS INTERN OF THE YEAR
A Plant With
Healthy Roots
All of the interns who applied for the GPN/Nexus Intern of the Year scholarship
are the epitome of healthy, beautiful plants. Each of them in their essays
described their journeys through a love of growing things, to a successful
education and finally to their chosen career plan. They are all plants with
healthy roots.
Over 20 years ago we talked about how Nexus could help our industry and
customers achieve their goals. We talked about new products that we were
designing and consumer trends as well as roadblocks to success.
Our growers had a recurring need for talented staff and it seemed there
were fewer young people attracted to our industry. What could we do? Along
with GPN, our combined teams set up a plan to shine a light on the value of an
education and career in horticulture. The Intern of the Year scholarship was our
way of making it happen. We are proud of the result.
Our 21st intern, Caleb Spall, is someone we can all be proud of. While doing his
faculty and professors about potential internships, when Dr. Lopez
suggested I look into Green Circle after asking about commercial
orchid operations in the area. "
With more than 100 acres of indoor growing space, Green Circle
Growers is one of the largest greenhouses in North America -
something Spall says attracted him to the internship in the first place.
" Green Circle was my first choice, and I was thrilled when I heard
back, " Spall adds. " I've been to so many greenhouse operations for
work and class trips - I've never seen something as large as Green
Circle's campus. "
LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE
Within Spall's first month on campus at MSU, he founded
the school's first student-run hydroponic initiative, involving
the hydroponic culture of herbs and their subsequent sale
to MSU dining halls. In 2018, he was elected as the head
grower of Michigan State's Student Horticulture Association
(SHA) - something he says not only helped his understanding of
internship at Green Circle Growers, he left a legacy of accomplishments. Caleb
sees how he wants to spend his career and has decided to pursue a master's
degree in floriculture next year. This scholarship will aid him in that pursuit.
As a whole generation of interns make their mark, the Nexus staff recognizes
them. We see their names on industry articles, we support them as they conduct
webinars, and we run into them when we visit our longtime customers. Caleb will be
one of those making a mark. We are proud of all of our interns. At Nexus, we know
that what we stand for, defines
who we are and how our industry
can be shaped for the future by
these outstanding individuals.
- Craig Humphrey, Nexus Corp.
greenhouse operations going into his internship, but also helped give him some
background to look for things such as diseases and issues with plants.
" Last year, we grew annuals, perennials, house plants - stuff like that. That
sort of helped me understand floriculture a little better, " Spall says. " I didn't
have too much experience before going to Green Circle, so it helped give me that
background... understanding how to grow high quality crops, etc. "
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January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2020
