“Dive headfirst into your internship,” said Johnathan Ballou.
It’s a simple piece of advice, and coming from an alumnus with a marine sciences degree, you may think the dive is literal. But Johnathan Ballou, a UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences graduate who double majored in marine sciences and environmental management in agriculture and natural resources, found himself metaphorically diving into an internship with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County.
As an intern, each of Ballou’s days were unique. He helped conduct research, met with stakeholders, and visited project sites for progress updates. Under the supervision of Alyssa Vinson, an extension agent for urban forestry, his primary project was planting trees to increase urban canopy cover in Carol Wood Village Park in Hillsborough County. Ballou held a significant role in this project through soil analysis, volunteer coordination, funding coordination and creating a landscape plan. His efforts reached a great milestone with the first native trees for the rehabilitation project being planted on August 1, 2025.
“His leadership of the tree planting initiative at Carrollwood Village Park has not only enhanced the park’s natural beauty but also fostered long-term environmental benefits for residents,” said Vinson.
Ballou’s secondary projects continued an emphasis on native trees and long-term benefits with an ongoing project to establish one of the first native tree arboretums by an extension office in Florida.
While Ballou’s passion for environmental science continued with a strong foundation from the fundamental courses of his degree programs, his perspective of extension and career opportunities changed with his experiences in the internship process including the foundational course taught in part by Dr. Charlotte Emerson.
“Extension internships empower students to become agents of change by applying academic knowledge to address community challenges, fostering both personal growth and societal impact,” said Dr. Charlotte Emerson.
Ballou was able to utilize and understand more of how extension resources address the interests of the Hillsborough County community. He found his overall extension intern experience to be eye-opening on the role that extension has in communities.
“An extension opportunity is the chance and the privilege to be a representative for the scientific community to your local community, to your state,” said Ballou.
He feels that UF/IFAS Extension is more than a government or university entity, but rather a community partner that cares for the communities it serves with resources that extend beyond Florida. Ballou enjoyed learning from his supervisor, Alyssa Vinson, about the resources and teamwork UF/IFAS utilizes to serve Florida residents. He plans to explore future careers in extension and urban forestry.
Ballou’s interest in agriculture and related science fields began as a child. It grew even more during the COVID-19 pandemic when looking for an alternative to spending a lot of time indoors. He decided to start a small home garden, planting a variety of crops, and this experience was a key element in his decision to join CALS. As a first-generation student, he had an intentional approach to academics and campus involvement with a primary focus on research. Ballou worked in the Sustainable Nutrient Management Systems Lab under the supervision of Dr. Maltais-Landry for two years as an undergraduate student. This experience and other research opportunities in CALS prompted him to pursue this internship and the outreach efforts of research-based information to Florida residents.
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ABOUT THE UF/IFAS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) administers the degree programs of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The mission of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to deliver unsurpassed educational programs that prepare students to address the world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities. The college has received more total (national and regional combined) USDA teaching awards than any other institution.
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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