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Students Part Of Plant Festival

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By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 10, 2007

USF CAMPUS - Karen Anrriguez, a 19-year-old University of South Florida sophomore, says her mother calls her for advice about plants.

That's because Anrriguez is in her second year as a work-study student at the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens.

Work-study programs are a requirement of some college financial aid packages. The students have part-time, on-campus jobs in administrative offices or other facilities, or off-campus jobs such as tutoring.

'We pot plants, water, weed, fertilize, move plants, unload orders,' said Anrriguez, a biology major from Kissimmee. 'We've learned a lot.'

The gardens' five work-study students also will assist with the 17th annual Fall Plant Festival on Saturday and Sunday at the gardens. They will help set up and assist customers.

The event, which raises money for the nonprofit gardens, also includes more than 50 booths featuring local clubs and commercial growers with plants for sale and plant workshops.

Students who are offered jobs through the work-study program can look at a list and apply for specific positions. There were almost 1,000 students in the program last year earning $2.4 million on USF campuses, according to information provided by the USF financial aid department. The 2007-08 budget for the program is about $3.3 million.

Angel Miller, 18, a freshman from Daytona Beach, said she applied for a position at the gardens because she thought 'it looked interesting' and she likes to be outside.

'All the other jobs were clerical positions, and this is the only job that stuck out,' the biomedical sciences student said.

Kim Hutton, the gardens' special events manager who oversees the work-study program students, said: 'They are such a lifesaver for us. They are great, and this is a particularly good group.'

It also is a business learning experience for the students, who get a paycheck instead of the money going directly into their financial aid account.

'This is a real job. They have a designed time to come in and are told to call me if they are not coming in,' Hutton said. 'They work when they are here; they do not study.'

This weekend's sale will include bromeliads, orchids, African violets, begonias, cactus, palms and ferns.

The Tampa Tribune is among the festival sponsors.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Fall Plant Festival

WHEN: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: University of South Florida Botanical Gardens, Pine and Alumni drives

HOW MUCH: $4 for ages 12 and older, free for ages 11 and younger

INFORMATION: Call (813) 974-2329 or visit www.cas.usf.edu/garden

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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