Horticulture student Emma Dickey enjoys working with water features because there’s so much possibility in water technology.
“Traditionally,” she says, “horticulture has involved things like tools and plows for working with dirt. But with water, instead of using dirt, we’re using water and tools related to water. It’s more sustainable, and the technology is changing.”
Emma is a first-generation college student at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As she talks about her interest in working with water in horticulture, there are similarities to be seen in her experience as a high school student trying to learn about college pathways.
“As a high school student, you’re in a flow with everyone else, just rushing along with everyone. But when I got to college, I realized I was in a stream of my own now, and STC made sure I was successful. Everyone cared about me and where I was going, not just getting me in and out.”
Emma will graduate debt-free from STC in May 2025, and she acknowledges that when she started exploring the idea of college four years ago, she was lost—but eager to find resources.
“I grew up with parents who hated their jobs, and I didn’t want to live my life doing something that didn’t make me happy. But I didn’t have any direction.”
Emma says as a sophomore she watched a family friend earn a horticulture degree from STC—and as someone who lives for the outdoors, she found her direction.
“I didn’t really know what tech school was. But being low-income, I knew this was the closest opportunity I had to get a degree.”
Emma says during her junior year of high school, friends started getting accepted to colleges, and getting scholarships, and she knew she needed to get serious about her path forward.
“My counselor had a lot of other students to meet with, so our meetings were always short, and not having other resources was difficult.” With her counselor’s help, she applied to STC, got accepted, and applied for and received a small scholarship. But she didn’t yet know how she was going to pay for school, or anything else.
Emma moved out of her parents’ home as soon as she graduated from high school, and she started at Southeast Tech that fall. All students who enter STC with fewer than 12 credits enroll in a student success class to help them acclimate to college life, master the Learning Management System, and refine time management and other skills. This class also pairs them with a Student Success Advisor (SSA), who walks alongside students for the entirety of their time at STC.
It was during a meeting with her SSA that Emma learned about the financial aid process and was referred to the Office of Access and Workforce Opportunity to learn about other financial resources that could help her. This office offers support for all students but also hosts tailored opportunities for first-generation college students. Her SSA knew she could find assistance there, as a first-gen student.
Through the Office of Access and Workforce Opportunity, Emma applied for the FAFSA and was able to talk about insurance, housing, and other resources she might need as a student. Emma knew that taking advantage of all the resources available at Southeast Tech would help her be successful, and from her first week to her final semester, she’s been using these resources to navigate her college career.
“I Used Marcella in AWO for early help,” she says, “and Ben, my teacher, for career opportunities. I tried to go to all the events I could so that I could continue my education and network with other people. I used the ARC, and I leaned on classmates, a lot.”
Today, Emma has become a resource for others, as she encourages first-gen high school students she works with to research programs related to things they find fulfilling, to put together a plan, and to find resources.
“The transition from high school to college was hard,” she says, “because I didn’t have anyone but my teachers and counselors to help me. So my advice for anyone making this transition is ‘resources, resources, resources.’ Put together a spreadsheet, and track your interests, the deadlines and get a grasp of what it all looks like.”
Being proactive, looking for resources, and leaning on connections helped Emma have a fun and productive two years at Southeast Tech, and it’s clear that she’s thinking about how connections will continue to inform her growth in her career.
“In horticulture, with things like water technology, aquaponics, and hydroponics, we just need more examples to learn from. Not many people are doing it here, so there’s not that much knowledge to go off of here. But I’m always looking around, seeing stuff pop up, and thinking about how much this is going to grow.”
For more information on Southeast Technical College's approach, please visit their website here.
