PLANET held its 33rd annual Student Career Days at Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California, March 26-29. The showcase brought 61 college teams comprising 798 students to compete in 26 individual and team competitions. The competitions included events like tree climbing, paver installation, wood construction, plant identification, irrigation troubleshooting and the newest competition – compact excavator operation.
Awards were given to individuals and teams. Individual winners, called “Superstars,” were Seth Reed of Brigham Young University – Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho, first place; Ben Roney of Alamance Community College, Graham, North Carolina, second place and Dawn Strickland of the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, third place.
Overall competition team winners were Brigham Young University – Idaho, first place; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, second place and North Metro Technical College, Acworth, Georgia, third place.
Students received scholarships and award money. PLANET gave nearly $70,000 in scholarships through its Academic Excellence Foundation this year. The onsite Career Fair also offered students a chance to interview with green industry companies for internships and full-time positions.
Student Career Days was sponsored by Stihl, Ariens/Gravely, Caterpillar, John Deere, Ryan Turf Renovation Equipment, Brickman, Husqvarna, Pavestone Company and the Toro Company. To view a complete list of winners, visit www.StudentCareerDays.org
