Welcome to my blog. My name is Carson Letot, and I am a senior at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. I am a double major in Crop and Soil Science with a concentration in Turfgrass Science, and Environmental Studies in Agriscience with a concentration in teaching, and a minor in Biology.

In layman's terms, the crop and soil science degree is for golf course management, and the environmental studies degree is for teaching environmental sciences in secondary education.

My passion is education on the environment, and I try to look everywhere and anywhere for more knowledge on environmental science, and our interaction in nature. Two summers ago I had an internship in Wyoming, which exposed me to a different climate and environment for golf maintenance than I was used to in Michigan. My education at Michigan State allows me to see both sides of the relationship we have with the environment. That being said, my goal this summer was to further advance my knowledge in one or both of my majors, while gaining work experience.

One day at my local credit union branch, I ran into Dr. Tom Nikolai. He asked me what I was planning to do this summer. After hearing my goal for summer employment, he posed the idea of an internship abroad in Ireland. I hadn't given interning abroad much thought, but after thinking about it more that afternoon, I decided that nothing could be more perfect for me.

During the internship I could continue my education in turfgrass science while in one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world! I immediately applied for the internship and went through a number of interviews. In a few weeks I learned that despite a field of many qualified applicants, I had earned the internship at Mount Juliet Golf Club in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. I report to Course Superintendent Aidan OHara.

Over the next two months, I acquired a student visa for work in Ireland, plane tickets, insurance coverage abroad, and housing for my stay. After I had all my affairs in order, the next step was to get on a plane and head to Dublin!