Landscaping has long been Jack Beauparlant’s passion. He was a student of the 2-year Business Technology & Management program and a graduate of the Landscape Design and Sustainable Horticulture Program. Jack enrolled in Vermont Tech with an already-established background in the field, but until coming to Vermont Tech, he didn’t realize how much more there was for him to learn.
“I came into the Landscape program with a large amount of knowledge in the industry since I have run my own business in landscaping for years,” he says. “There’s been so much more about landscaping to learn that I didn’t know about, and I’m really happy for that.”
While in high school, Jack took college courses at Community College of Vermont through the Dual Enrollment Program, which gives Vermont high school students the opportunity to take up to two college courses for free.
After getting a taste of college-level work, Jack set his sights on going to turf school in the Midwest or in the south. Then he took a tour of Vermont Tech and everything changed.
“Just before I was going to visit schools I decided to check out Vermont Tech. I took a tour, talked to students, and had lunch with the director of the landscape program,” he says. “I fell in love with Vermont Tech. I did not ever visit any other schools because after getting accepted here, I knew that Vermont Tech was the right choice for me.”
Vermont Tech was also an easy choice for Jack because of its small size. Jack, who grew up in West Danville and attended a small high school, says he was never interested in attending a big city school with large lectures.
“I wanted a school that was small and hands-on,” he says. “The opportunity to enroll in the Dual Enrollment Program and have the college class experience while still in high school was a benefit. Also, I was very much used to being in classes in high school with less than 20 students, and having that here as well has made the experience much easier for me.”
Read more about how Jack runs his own landscaping business in our Entrepreneurship Series.