Katie Pink is a self-admitted idealist. The Monroe native aspires to have her own design firm in Wisconsin, where she will create sustainable systems to bring both urban and rural spaces closer to the environment. “I grew up with a 200-acre nature preserve near my family”s small farm, so I really love the outdoors.”

She had no such plans when she came to Madison. She considered majors ranging from music to microbiology. Then she discovered landscape architecture.

“I took the introductory landscape architecture class pretty much just because I thought it sounded interesting,” she recalls. “It opened my eyes to what the field is all about, and what cool jobs would be available to me.”

Pink likes that landscape architects create better spaces for people to live in, taking into account environmental, social, cultural and economic factors. “The profession attracted me to the major. I saw that I could impact a lot of people.”

Pink did a little research and learned that the College”s recent landscape architecture graduates report being well prepared for the job market. She took some core classes and then applied to become a major, one of 22 accepted out of 40 applicants. She took most of her classes with the same 22 people. She liked that. She also liked getting to work on community projects. For her own senior project, she helped a Beloit community group plan a historic district centered around a former Underground Railroad way station.

“I feel that my education has had an impact on people,” she says. “I really think I”ve made a difference, and that”s prepared me for the workforce.”