Edilzon “Edi” Ramirez has become a familiar face around Fifield Hall, home to several UF/IFAS departments and programs, including the Plant Science major, where he is a junior. Carrying homemade cupcakes, welcoming incoming students at a meet-and-greet, or representing Plant Science as a student ambassador, he never passes by without a smile or a welcoming hello. When speaking to him about his interests and future goals, his passion for horticulture is clear, but growing up in Miami, he initially thought horticulture was one career he didn’t want to pursue.
Ramirez grew up watching his grandmother and several family members work at a production nursery. Seeing the labor involved and her coming home tired from work made him consider another pathway. But after graduating from high school during the pandemic, when job opportunities were limited, his grandmother suggested he take a part-time job alongside her.
“So that’s how I got started as a manual field worker in a local nursery, and then I actually liked it,” Ramirez said. “It was only supposed to be a summer job because originally at [Miami Dade College] I was going to do the nursing program.”
Instead, he stayed at the nursery for nearly a year and changed his college plans. Ramirez enrolled in Miami Dade College’s horticulture program, completing an associate degree in horticulture and later an associate degree in biology in order to transfer to the University of Florida, and is now a third-year Plant Science student.
Finding opportunities across the horticulture industry
Ramirez has made a point of experiencing as much of the industry as possible. He has completed multiple internships with Costa Farms and spent this summer at Pure Beauty Farms in Miami, an opportunity he discovered while searching the American Floral Endowment website. At Pure Beauty Farms, he rotated through different areas of commercial plant production, building on his previous experience while gaining greater independence in his work.
Those experiences have helped Ramirez envision a future as a head grower, trial manager, or production manager, particularly working with foliage, annuals, and perennials. They have also exposed him to research and development, plant trials, and the many careers in commercial production.
This summer, he attended Cultivate for the first time as an AmericanHort HortScholar. The experience placed him at a table with people and companies he had previously known mostly by name.
“At Cultivate, I got to meet many of these professionals, and now some of them are friends,” Ramirez said. “I never thought I would be getting this far because, again, I was just normal field labor, just taking orders and pulling weeds. Seeing how much the industry invests in not just me but other people is very rewarding.”
Learning the value of networking and making industry connections early is valuable for undergraduate students just beginning their careers. For Ramirez, it came full circle. He was recently awarded the Ball Horticultural Company Scholarship and BioWorks Scholarship through the American Floral Endowment, two organizations he had the opportunity to interact with through Cultivate. He was also one of six UF/IFAS students selected for a 2026 Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund award through the Horticultural Research Institute.
“I’m really grateful to the people and companies who have supported me along the way and given me the opportunities to keep developing my career. Their support inspires me to keep learning, keep pushing myself, and see where this industry can take me.”
Student life and involvement
Ramirez’s experiences outside campus are contributing to what he brings to the Plant Science community at UF. He is currently the vice president of the Environmental Horticulture Club and an assistant grower for its annual poinsettia crop. The sale was billed as the largest student-run plant sale in the country and offered over 4,000 poinsettias, including special varieties developed by students or as part of the UF/IFAS breeding program. His summer internship included time with a poinsettia production team, giving him experience he can now apply to the student-grown crop. He hopes to continue developing his leadership and production skills and eventually step into the head grower role.
“One of the things I want to get out of this is more leadership skills,” Ramirez said. “If I ever want to be a grower, I have to learn how to manage people, tell them how to do things, and direct them. That’s one of the things I always struggle with, and so being vice president will help me do that.”
He adds, “Next year, I hope to be the head grower of the poinsettia club.”
As a Plant Science Ambassador, Ramirez also participates in outreach aimed at introducing more students to plant science and the array of careers available, not just in horticulture but also in plant pathology, forestry, agronomy, and other industries.
Outside of his academic work, he has found a love for baking. Produce and flowers he grows have inspired creations including rose-and-strawberry and lavender-and-blueberry cakes.
“I like to bake. I like to garden, and baking goes along with gardening because most of what I harvest is tomatoes, basil, or flowers. I like to incorporate that into what I’m baking,” Ramirez said
Those cakes are shared with classmates or at special events; it’s something he says people have associated with him, and some of his recipes are what he is recognized for.
Looking towards the future
Ramirez is still deciding what comes next. He originally planned to enter the workforce after graduation, but his recent experiences have also made him consider pursuing a master’s degree. He hopes that gaining experience in a research lab at UF will help him decide which direction is right for him.
Regardless of his path, Ramirez hopes mentorship will eventually become part of his own role in horticulture. After working with managers who made his internships valuable learning experiences, he wants to offer that same experience to future students.
“I’ve had so many great managers as an intern. One of the things that propels me is the idea of one day having my own interns and passing the knowledge on to them. We’re gonna have a blast. We’re gonna have fun, and I’m gonna teach [them] stuff, and hopefully [inspire them to] stay in the field,” reflected Ramirez.
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