Why did you choose to come to the University of Missouri?
“I was originally committed to the University of Arkansas. I was so in love with Arkansas. Then my scholarship money didn’t end up working out, so I was like, ‘I’ll just go to Mizzou.’ But it truly is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s hard coming from St. Louis because the pipeline from St. Louis to Mizzou is so big, but I genuinely went in with the intention to branch out. I’m very happy with my choice.”
Why did you choose to pursue your degree?
“My career goal going into college was to own my own flower shop. That was essentially already set up for me because I was supposed to take over my aunt’s business after school.”
Did your career goals change throughout college?
“Everything changed junior year when my aunt sold her flower shop. I then decided I wanted to go more into hospitality, so I started taking more hospitality management classes, because I was like, ‘Okay, the flower thing’s not going to work out.’”
How did taking classes outside of your major impact your experience at Mizzou?
“Every class I had in hospitality management I genuinely enjoyed going to and learning about. I went to Florence, Italy. And that was through hospitality management, so not even in my major. I learned that you can find things that you’re interested in that don’t necessarily go with your major, and you can do them if you want to.”
What has your career path looked like after graduating?
“I worked at a flower shop in St. Louis, and it was great until you feel the burnout of doing something. I’ve been doing flowers since I was 16, and I was working 12-hour days every weekend. I didn’t want to be working every single weekend when I was 23 years old. There’s just a lot you don’t think about until you do it, and it got to a point where I was like, ‘I’m so burnt out. I have to figure something else out.’”
How did you react when you realized you were experiencing burnout?
“I thought flowers were going to be the rest of my life. I don’t think I would have ever expected to not feel fulfilled doing that. If you would have told this to senior year me, I would have been like, ‘What do you mean?’ But I’ve learned it’s okay to not want to do something. You can always come back to it. It’s the life I want, but it’s not the right time.”
What are you currently doing for work?
“I work for a wallpaper company. The wallpaper thing just kind of fell in my lap and was going to be a gap filler until I got another job, but I actually very much enjoy it. That was just a lucky surprise. But never in my life would I have thought I would be hanging wallpaper, ever.”
What have the changes in your career path taught you?
“It’s okay to not have everything figured out. Your success doesn’t rely on a job. You can be successful at so many other things, and sometimes a job is just what you do to make money. I tell people all the time that I’m not using the degree I went to school for, but I learned a lot that doesn’t have to do with ag business through ag business. I feel like it taught me a lot about teamwork and delegation, and that you can’t do everything yourself. You need help, especially in the real world.”
What are your goals for your future career path?
“I honestly would love to keep doing wallpaper and then make that into more of a design business. Eventually I want to venture the design business into flowers and design. It’s a large gap to bridge, but I would love to somehow incorporate both things into my life and career. The big goal is to just run my own business.”
What is your advice for current CAFNR students?
“Take advantage of every exploratory option you have. Explore every single thing you can while you still can, like studying abroad. Use what you have at your fingertips now.”