Sydney Cote ’26 grew up gardening with her mother and spent free periods in high school watering plants in her favorite teacher’s greenhouse. She took classes in floriculture and landscaping. When the time came to choose a college major, however, she thought she should pursue something practical. She chose accounting.
After a year at the Community College of Rhode Island, a job at a flower shop, and a scroll through the University of Rhode Island’s list of majors, she found her way to the URI’s Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology and its ornamental horticulture concentration. Something clicked.
This spring, Cote graduated from that program. This summer, she is working with a Jenny Events, Co., a professional event planner, building a dedicated floral team for weddings and special events — doing the creative work she always loved but never thought could become a career
Discovering Her Path
She arrived at URI ready to study what she loved but quickly discovered plant sciences extended far beyond flowers.
Her classes introduced her to tree identification, insect science, landscape management, greenhouse production, and horticultural techniques she had never encountered. In one course, professional arborists came to campus and students climbed trees alongside them. In another, she learned specialized grafting techniques.
“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” she says. “The professors are teaching you about something they’re really passionate about, and then you’re actually learning how to do it.”
Her favorite course involved walking across campus twice a week — once to learn plants by their Latin names, family names, and defining characteristics, and once to be quizzed.
Finding a Place in the Greenhouse
Transferring as a junior and commuting from home meant Cote had to build her community from scratch. She arrived nervous about walking into a major where most students already knew each other. The reality surprised her.
“I look back at it now, and I’m like, why was I so nervous,” she says. “Everyone was so nice.”
The greenhouse became a major source of connection. Rather than leaving campus after class, Cote spent time there studying and being around other students as conversations happened naturally. “There’s always a safe space there,” she says.
Cote says she wants prospective students to understand that Plant Sciences is much broader than many people realize.
“When I tell people I’m a Plant Sciences major, they’re like, ‘Oh, so you just grow plants,’” she says. “But there’s so much you can do with it: Pharmaceuticals, medicinal plants, veggie crops, hydroponics, greenhouse management, design, and more.”
Looking Ahead
Long term, Cote has considered starting her own business, whether a floral studio with an event-planning angle or a space combining flowers, coffee, and other things she loves. For now, she is entering her first summer in the industry she prepared for, doing work that strikes the balance she always wanted.
“I wanted a job where I could be creative but still have structure,” she says. “With florals, you can use your creativity while also working within what someone wants — okay, they want a certain look, but maybe I can make it a little more whimsical.”
The journey that brought Cote to plant sciences started with flowers, but it became much more than that. “The best part about this major is the community,” she says. “Everyone is so accepting, and they’re willing to teach you anything.”