Every program at Ohio State ATI is full of hands-on experiences. Whatever students choose to study, they will gain experience in their given areas through experiential learning. For Heather Bauder, our staff floriculturist, the hands-on experiences were one of her favorite parts of her education at Ohio State ATI and are a big part of her current role.

Heather graduated from Ohio State ATI with Associate of Applied Science Degrees in both Floral Design and Marketing and in Nursery Production Management (now titled Greenhouse and Nursery Management). After graduation, she worked in the floral industry, including a role as manager of a floral shop for six years. Then she returned to Ohio State ATI in her current role.

Heather oversees our on-campus floral shop. Our floral students receive real-life, hands-on experience working in the flower shop by designing, merchandising, and providing customer service. The second-year students progress to becoming the managers for the first-year students, which allows them to have a whole new experience of managing others.

Strawberry Kisses Floral Arrangement

One of the experiences our floral students have is organizing specials around Valentine’s Day. The floral students design and market different types of Valentine’s Day floral arrangements which are sold to the campus and community. These flowers vary from traditional long-stemmed roses to less traditional arrangements such as “Strawberry Kisses.”

Another part of Heather’s role is being a member of the horticulture gardening team that plans, designs, installs, and maintains the campus’s learning gardens. She harvests many of the plants that are grown on campus for use in ATI’s design classes. Floral students have the opportunity to design with flowers and foliage that greenhouse students started as seeds or cuttings and that Ohio State ATI students took care of throughout the growing season.

The Floral Design and Marketing major and the Greenhouse and Nursery Management major are only two of the thirty programs that Ohio State ATI offers. Students in all programs have experiential learning opportunities. According to Heather, the best part of coming to Ohio State ATI is, “Students who come here get real-life experience and hands-on practical experience in their field of study.”

Living on campus can be one of the things that students are most excited about or the thing that they are most nervous about when they come to college! No matter where you fall on that spectrum, Ohio State ATI has staff members who are willing and able to help answer all your housing questions. Ohio State ATI’s housing coordinator is Mick Steiner and he has been with the university for 6.5 years. His number one priority is making sure students get the most out of their college experience and that they learn and grow as people, not just in their classes, but in their living arrangements as well.

Ohio State ATI has apartment style living. This means that students have a full kitchen and a living room, as well as a patio. There are a few different layouts of the apartments, but most have two bedrooms with four or five students per apartment. Each apartment has its own bathroom. This living arrangement allows students to have independence while still being on campus.

When asked what the value of coming to college at Ohio State ATI is, Steiner stated, “Ohio State ATI provides a small, intimate learning community. While many of our students come from rural backgrounds and have experiences with farming, the majors offered here attract students looking for diverse job opportunities. This is the perfect campus to build relationships, learn more about being a college student, and prepare for a transition to the Columbus campus or to enter the workforce. Students who start at Ohio State ATI often find apartment living to be favorable over other living arrangements.”

In addition to being a perfect place to build relationships, Ohio State ATI has many ways to be involved on campus. Steiner suggests, “Take advantage of opportunities to get involved in campus life – whether it be an RA program, intramurals at the Student Activities Center, or a club or organization that meshes with your major. So much learning happens outside of the classroom. You do have to put yourself out there to form connections with your peers. You never know who may be a future colleague, a supervisor, or a trusted friend in the industry. Toss those stereotypes aside and take an opportunity to learn about majors and programs outside of your focus area.”

If you have questions about housing, please do not hesitate to ask. Also, be sure to visit campus, so that you have a chance to see the apartments and the rest of our campus!

Mick Steiner
Housing Coordinator
steiner.255@osu.edu
330-287-7504

Ohio State ATI Housing:

It’s time to fill out your CFAES scholarship application if you haven’t already!  The deadline is fast approaching: February 15, 2020!  While you are still able to apply after that date, you will only be considered for additional funds should they become available.  This means you need to apply by the February 15^th deadline in order to have the best possible chance to receive scholarship gift money for the 2020-2021 academic year.  Here are a few tips for filling out the CFAES scholarship application.

Use the Correct Student ID Number!
When filling out your scholarship application, be sure to double check that you’ve typed in your student ID (9-digit number, usually beginning with 500 if you’ve enrolled in the past few years, found on your BuckID and the email you received after you submitted your application) correctly.  Your information is categorized electronically by this number, so if you accidentally type the number wrong, your application may not be processed correctly, if at all.

Use the Campus You Will be Attending in the Fall!
Make sure you’re selecting the correct location you’ll be attending NEXT FALL.  If you are starting your classes at ATI next fall or if you are a continuing student at ATI, make sure you select ATI/Wooster. If you are transitioning to Columbus in Autumn 2020 (after summer), you need to select the Columbus campus.  Many of our scholarships are based on which campus you’ll be attending.  If you select the wrong campus, you will not be in the correct selection pools, and any scholarships you have been awarded may be removed due to location.

Be Concise and Efficient When Writing!
When answering essay questions, there is a 300-word limit.  This means you need to be concise and efficient when answering.  For example, you may be answering a question about why you’ve chosen your major. Rather than tell a long story with a great deal of detail, give a few background details and focus on how that experience has impacted your major selection.

Focus on Highlights!
You may be asked to list accomplishments or achievements in a particular area of your life, such as volunteerism or 4-H.  Focus on recent highlights, or those that have had the greatest impact on your life.  If you list too much, it’s difficult for those reviewing to focus on your recent successes.

Do you have Questions?
Finally, if you make a mistake on your application or have any questions, contact lemasters.27@osu.edu and I will work with you to make sure everything is taken care of.

Best of luck!

Katie LeMasters
Academic Affairs
Program Coordinator

Apply for the Ohio State ATI Scholarships