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Anna Zimmerman – Floral Internship
Hi, my name is Anna Zimmerman, and I am a senior at Garden Spot High School. I decided to join the internship program this year because I heard about lots of positive experiences from friends and Garden Spot alumni. I am currently interning with Jane’s Flower Shoppe in New Holland on Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. My mentor and owner of the shop, Mary King, is teaching me a lot about floral design and the daily routines of a florist and their business.
Mary and my co-workers have taught me about the many aspects of the floral industry. I have been learning about customer service, how to care for the flowers, design arrangements, and sales. My duties vary from day to day, which gives me lots of opportunities to learn new skills. Trimming and processing the flowers is a job that I often do at the shop. Doing this keeps the flowers fresh for a longer period of time. I also will answer phones and help customers decide what they would like to order, take pictures of the flowers for their advertisements and website, and even make some flower arrangements.
Along with these duties, I also have had the opportunity to do some hands-on learning. My co-workers and I get to participate in classes and learn how to make different types of arrangements and other hands-on skills such a making decorative bows. This spring, I also got to help them set up two weddings. It was great to see firsthand what the process is like and all the different types of décor that a florist can provide.
This internship has helped me to expand my knowledge of floral design, customer service skills, and much more. When I started this internship, I didn’t know anything about the floral industry, but now I know that there is much more to it than I imagined. My career goal is to become a florist and open my own shop someday. This internship gave me affirmation that I enjoy this industry and now I have some background knowledge and know my education options to further my knowledge in this industry. If anyone is curious or interested in a specific career path, I highly suggest they join the internship program to get a firsthand glimpse of what their future could look like!