Hi from Bluffton, Indiana

My name is Carrie, and along with my other team members, I am so excited to be going to Australia with Rotary International's Group Study Exchange. I never would have guessed that following in the footsteps of my mother with her business would allow me to participate in such a wonderful program.

My current profession as a horticulturalist in my family's garden center and greenhouse business has launched an exciting study experience for me in Australia, but I didn't always picture myself as a flower grower.

Much of my educational experience has centered around English literature and teaching. In 2000, I graduated as valedictorian from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne with a BA in English Lit. I spent the next two years doing what every other English major does--I looked for a career while working odd jobs. Then I decided to teach English in Japan for a year which enabled me to travel and learn about Japanese culture. When I returned to the States, I was determined to go back to school and get a "real job" as a high school English teacher.

Along the way, I discovered many things. First, I don't like teaching high school. Second, working in a greenhouse is the best job in the world. And third, being close to family is invaluably rewarding.

I will be finishing my master's degree in English this August, and I plan on teaching composition to college freshmen part time. But my primary career is with growing flowers. Most teachers teach for a living and grow flowers as a hobby--I feel lucky to grow flowers for a living and teach as a hobby. Although teaching has enabled me to travel in the past, I am so proud that now I get to travel because of my current profession as a horticulturalist.

I hope that while I'm in Australia, I will learn how to implement chemical free and organic programs into our greenhouse management. I currently have plans to switch to organic fertilizers, and I have already been using biological insect control. But there is so much to learn, and it's my mission to make our business more environmentally friendly for my family, my customers, and my community.