Hailey Ragsdale
Hailey Ragsdale
she/her
- Learning by Leading role: Plant Propagation and Nursery Management, Nursery Assistant and Intern (2025-2026)
- Major: Agriculture and Environmental Education with a specialization in Horticulture
My name is Hailey Ragsdale (she/her) and I’m majoring in Agriculture and Environmental Education with a specialization in Horticulture. I will be graduating this spring of 2026! I am a nursery assistant at the UCD Arboretum and Public Garden’s teaching nursery. I became a member of the Learning by Leading program in the Winter of 2025 where I was a nursery management intern for the school year. I continued to volunteer during the summer and then officially became a part of the team at the end of summer and became a nursery assistant. The LxL program was a perfect opportunity for me since it aligned with my passion for horticulture as well as our local ecosystems and my career goal to one day have my own plant nursery.
At the nursery, I appreciate the value placed upon our local ecosystems with supporting native plants and habitats. I have not only learned so much about what it takes to manage a nursery, but have also learned a lot about the plants in our environments, what they provide for local wildlife and the importance of climate ready plants. The best part of being a member of this team are the plant sales where all of our hard work is showcased. We spend most of our time preparing for these sales, so when it is time to share what we’ve grown with the community, it is very special. I love to see how excited people are about the plants we have and hear what kind of landscape projects they are working on. To know we are a part of restoring and amplifying local ecosystems is great. My coworkers are also amazing and I have fortunately been able to create friendships outside of work, helping to guide me in my college experience. Abbey is a very influential mentor in my life. I look up to her knowledge and ability to really carry our team and the operations of the nursery. Through Abbey I have learned invaluable skills such as problem solving and what it takes to work as a team. She really is able to help us foster our own individual strengths and allows us to showcase what we are capable of, which has allowed me to feel confident in my abilities.
The LxL program has set me up for success in my future careers and endeavors by providing me with great opportunities to contribute to sustainable solutions, developing my leadership skills, and playing a role in bettering our communities and environment. It is a great opportunity for anyone out there who wants to strengthen skills they already have, and cultivate new ones that they will take with them for the rest of their careers.