The Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVR) program take pride in its strong interdisciplinary curriculum that provides students the opportunity to collaborate with professionals, communities, and peers. Graduate Benet Kinghorn recounts how his studies at UNL as a double major in Environmental Studies and Horticulture and Landscape Design prepared him for his career.
As a student, Benet learned strategies to effectively advocate for environmental awareness. It was through his work with “classmates and professionals in various sectors of the community” that helped him “gain confidence in how to work within a team”. Both are critical skills he utilizes daily.
Encouraged to participate outside the program, Benet “quickly found a home with Sustain UNL” where he served as president of the organization for three years. It was there he realized the potential to create and initiate change for the betterment of the campus community. Between Sustain UNL and the ENVR program, Benet obtained vital experiences that would shape his career.
“People have an interest in fostering a more sustainable community and we are responding to that need.”
Benet currently works for Kinghorn Gardens based in Omaha, Nebraska. Here, the connections with communities, sustainability, and ecology are fundamental. Kinghorn Gardens has, “helped to bring habitats and nature to urban and near urban environments… Our landscapes give a chance for people to invest in their local ecosystem… [which is] key to have buy-in for sustainable objectives”. Benet Kinghorn looks back on his time in Environmental and Sustainability Studies fondly, appreciative of the experiences, learning, and opportunities that allows him to positively impact people and the environment. He embodies one of the pillars of the ENVR program and its slogan to “do greater good” through leadership in environmental issues.