About Us
We are a community of horticultural practitioners who provide professional development and networking opportunities in order to further our colleagues careers and contribute to the ongoing success of the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden.
Why it Matters
We nurture a network of recent and past graduates, transforming loose connections into relationships that enable professional development and career opportunities for alumni while providing ongoing support of the School’s mission.
For alumni, the Association is a professional asset, maintaining and providing a curated directory of SoPH’s “family.” With this formalized network, graduates will have access to potential mentors, opportunities to meet and mingle with future employees, and a stronger professional network in general. Alumni will also enjoy benefits provided by the Association itself, such as access to informative, timely, and relevant content, invitations to exclusive events, and more.
Putting it all Together
We’re dreaming big, but our aims are simple: foster community, connect graduates with potential jobs and employers with potential employees through our directory and networking events, and help give our graduates a leg-up in the world of horticulture.
As we grow over the next 12 months, our specific goals are:
- Creating an active, up-to-date, searchable directory of SoPH alums
- Launching a pilot program for formalized post-graduate mentorship
- Hosting special alumni-only events for networking and community-building
Leadership
The Association is led by an independent group of volunteer alumni in collaboration with SoPH leadership. Our President is Elena Peabody, class of 2021. Our Secretary is Roberta DiBisceglie, class of 1997. Treasurer is Ilsa Svendsen, class of 1997. Elena Day, class of 2020, currently sits on our Board.