 |
More than a Face in the Crowd:
|
 |
|
The beauty of Yale's buildings and grounds is world-renown. Take a walk this fall down Hillhouse Avenue and see for yourself. Stop in front of the President's House and look at the rolling expanse of lawn and the hundred-year-old trees and plantings. This landscape is in the care of Eric Ciolino, gardener, who is one of 17 grounds maintenance staff assigned to Science Hill and one of 63 staff campuswide whose work tending the hundreds of Yale acres enhances the architectural greatness of its buildings.
The mowing, trimming, leaf-blowing, planting, fertilizing, mulching, and sprinkler-system maintenance that Ciolino does, and has been doing for 22 years at Yale, suits his lifelong pleasure in working outdoors and his penchant for continuous learning.
"I really enjoy finding out about the different plant species I take care of," says Ciolino. "I also love the historical buildings here at Yale and I take pride in the work I do on their grounds."
Knowing about the plants is just as important as tending to them and Ciolino has obvious respect for the Yale gardeners who have mentored him along the way. Learning from seasoned professionals has been his stepping stone to training and development opportunities that have enriched his journey from groundskeeper to gardener.
One of the benefits of Ciolino's work is that while his hands and feet are busy getting his work accomplished, his mind is often free to not only figure out ways to streamline his work processes—moving linearly from job to job rather than bouncing from one location to another—but also to pay homage to dreams he has beyond Yale.
No surprise that his biggest dream has to do with plants, in this case, coffee-bean plants. Having mastered the technique of bean roasting, Ciolino is looking to open a coffeehouse in New Haven in the very near future. He has visited coffee farms in Panama and Guatemala, studied at the Best Coffee School in Oregon, and has a business plan that he describes as a "work of art."
Here's how he sees the lay of the land: Yale gardener by day; coffeehouse proprietor by night.
