Nearly 900 college students from around North America descended upon Auburn University’s campus recently for an annual event that always draws crowds—the Professional Landcare Network’s Student Career Days.

The networking event brought landscape students from 63 universities together with some of the biggest names in the business. For established landscape companies, Student Career Days is an important event. Coming here exposes them to prospects who are as serious about the profession as they are.

With an opening night barbecue and opening day pep rally, for the students Student Career Days is as focused on socializing as it is on networking.

Lucio Zepeda, who came with 15 of his Cal Poly-Pomona classmates, said he liked networking with Green industry executives at the event. “Hopefully from this we get an opportunity for the future, so we can start working in the industry right away after we graduate,” he said. “I networked a lot last year. I got a lot out of it. It’s a great experience.”

Reese Nelson, a professor at Brigham Young University, has been bringing students here for 15 years. “It’s the premier event of the industry,” he said. “I refer to it as the ‘horticulture Olympics.’ I like the interface with industry that our students experience here. It really is a student career days.”