Buss grows while achieving goals
Nicole Buss, Floral Arrangement major, started out in Charles City Iowa. She graduated high school at Charles City High. She then came to the area to help a friend out by taking over a lease which is what first helped put her on a road headed for Kirkwood Community College.
Nicole started out her Kirkwood career as a Fashion Merchandising major. After a few years in the merchandising major she lost interest and began to reflect on her background experiences in hopes of discovering a new major to focus on and complete. After reflecting on her high school job at Ecther’s Green House, Nicole decided to jump head first into the Floral Arrangement program stating “I knew I would be interested in it, I always have been.”
Since joining the Floral Arrangement program, Buss explained that she has become a lot more focused. “When I started this program my goal was to make the Dean’s List, which I did last semester and hopefully this semester too.
When she began the floral arrangement program her course work shifted to classes such as Kirkwood’s Floral Design I, II, and III. She also took classes focused on the business end of floral arrangement which focuses on teaching students what would be needed if they ever decided to open up their own floral shop.
Alongside her duties as a student, Nicole also fills her daily calendar with two jobs. The first at Flowerama on 1st Avenue in Cedar Rapids, and the other as a server on weekends at the Outback Steakhouse. Buss’s Flowerama job also doubles as her internship for her major.
Aside from her jobs Nicole also has a considerable amount of activities that keep her busy in her free time. She is involved in the Forget Me Not’s, also known as the Agriculture Leaders. The group just finished selling bulbs to students around campus. Buss also took up the role of editor for the Forget Me Not’s semester newsletter.
Other ways that Buss spends her free time is doing things that she loves, such as planting on her own time, “I have plants all over my house, it’s like a little jungle in there” said Buss. She also takes the time to enjoy bicycling trips along side her family as they train for Ragbrai this spring. Despite having all this to do, Nicole stated that, “I am okay with not always doing something,” explaining, “I try and find time to relax.”
With a winning attitude, Nicole is flourishing at Kirkwood. She plans to build upon that possibly by transferring to Iowa State, in anticipation of learning more about horticulture. Where ever she goes her need to succeed will ensure that her career in floral arrangement grows and blooms alongside her flowers and plants.