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Alumni Spotlight: Jill Barber

NCSU alumni wolves statues
Jill Barber graduated from NC State in 2014 with a B.S. degree in Plant Biology. Now, Jill works in the Cultivation Department at Pure Ohio Wellness, growing legal medical marijuana. We reached out to Jill to find out about her experiences since graduating from NC State.

Did you start at Pure Ohio Wellness right after finishing at NCSU?

“I had many botany-related jobs during and after my time at NCSU. While attending school, I was part of the NCSU Landscape Construction Services, as part of the Quality Control team. My supervisor and I monitored new plantings and diagnosed any problems we encountered. The best part was how we exchanged information while working; she taught me about ornamentals, and I shared what I learned in class about trees and native plants. We were a great team! After graduation, I have worked for the Dublin, Ohio Parks Department, the US Forest Service twice, and a wholesale greenhouse growing flats of vegetable seedlings. I’m excited to be part of the emerging cannabis market [working at Pure Ohio Wellness], with nowhere to go but up!”

What do you enjoy most about your job/position?

“I enjoy growing, shaping, and feeding the plants more than anything. While the lab work was fascinating, my experience and education are being best utilized in the greenhouse with the live plants.”

What do you miss most about NCSU?

“I miss many of the shops, restaurants, and sights of Raleigh, and the friends I made there. On campus, I loved going through different buildings and finding unique aspects of each; quiet study corners, lively gathering spots, funny posters on the walls and doors, and anything else that could help me get through the day!”

What do you do with your free time?

“On the ‘personal life’ side, I am the typical crazy cat lady surrounded by my three indoor cats and whatever strays come to my porch for a meal. Right now, I am helping my mom with a stray momma cat who wandered into the basement and had SEVEN kittens on Mother’s Day! It’s adorable chaos. For fun, I make knitted, felted wool fantasy hats and bags, and I am creating a cottage business called Druid’s Wool to sell them at festivals and hopefully online as well.”

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