In 2002, Derrick Lepard may have been a shy high school student taking his first class at Georgia Highlands College, but now, he owns his own business in Atlanta called Cultivators.<\/p>\n
\u201cGHC was a great stepping stone for me right out of high school,\u201d he said. \u201cI was somewhat reserved and shy right out of high school and the experiences at GHC helped get me outside of my comfort zone.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Derrick\u2019s dream job was to one day become an architect, but his passion was in plants and plant life.<\/p>\n
He said that as a child he was always fascinated with plants, and since he grew up on a farm in Buchanan, Georgia, he was always outside.<\/p>\n
Eventually, as he tackled classes at GHC and went on one of his favorite college trips (the geology trip to Wyoming), he found out he could combine the two things he wanted most.<\/p>\n
Derrick decided he would become a landscape architect.<\/p>\n
\u201cLandscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture the build and natural environments,\u201d he said. \u201cLandscape architects have a significant impact on communities and quality of life. They design parks, residences, campuses, streetscapes, trails, plazas, and other projects that help define a community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Derrick graduated from GHC and went on to the University of Georgia.<\/p>\n
After finishing college, he started his own company in 2010.<\/p>\n
\u201cCultivators is a design build landscape architecture company,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are very hands on and work with residential and commercial clients in the Atlanta area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derrick\u2019s team has over 15 years combined experience in landscape architecture, landscape design, horticulture, and agriculture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the fact that every day is different, and I am my own boss at something that I am very passionate about.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Derrick stated GHC helped him create a solid foundation, noting how he loves GHC\u2019s flexibility to work with students to determine their best needs for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the experiences I had at GHC have helped shape me into the person I am today,\u201d he said, \u201cand it has definitely helped me get where I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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