Class of 2026: Teagan Hilgenberg explores plants through culture, art, and horticulture
From greenhouse coursework to botanical collections, Hilgenberg built a foundation for an exploratory career working with plants and public education.
Name: Teagan Hilgenberg
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Major/minor: Plant science with an option in environmental horticulture; minors in civic agriculture and food systems, crop and soil environmental science, and classical studies
Hometown: Gainesville, Virginia
Plans after graduation: Hilgenberg will work as a curatorial intern at The Polly Hill Arboretum in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, where she will work with plant collections and herbarium materials through the end of the year.
Favorite Hokie memory: "Under the mentorship of Dr. Ozzie Abaye, I undertook a leadership role in a service project in which we developed mung bean recipes to help combat malnutrition in Senegal. I have now produced a mung bean recipe book comprising 28 recipes, and the book will be shared with hundreds of women across several villages in Senegal. I am gratified that from an ocean away I am able to make a positive impact.”
What’s been the best thing about your major or department?
I have appreciated learning about plants through gaining practical knowledge and interacting with plants in the Hahn Horticulture Garden and greenhouses. My favorite classes in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences all involved hands-on learning: Ornamental Plant Production and Market (HORT 4614), Woody Landscape Plants (HORT 3326), and Herbaceous Landscape Plants (HORT 3324).
Under the mentorship of Dr. Ozzie Abaye, I undertook a leadership role in a service project in which we developed mung bean recipes to help combat malnutrition in Senegal. I have now produced a mung bean recipe book comprising 28 recipes, and the book will be shared with hundreds of women across several villages in Senegal. This experience stands out to me; I am gratified that from an ocean away I am able to make a positive impact.
What hands-on research opportunities, internships, or study abroad opportunities have you had?
In summer 2024, I worked with three organic growing operations across England and Wales through Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. This was a series of truly some of the most transformational and wonderful experiences of my life, and it impassioned me to pursue a career working with plants.
In summer 2025, I interned with two local farms – Den Hill Farm and Fungi and Harder Mushrooms at the Blacksburg Farmers Market and 3 Birds Berry Farm, a U-pick farm. The following semester, I partnered with Irene from 3 Birds for my Civic Agriculture and Food Systems capstone project in which I hand-painted signs for culinary herbs and digitally designed educational signage for native plants around the farm.
I most recently worked as a curatorial assistant to Dr. Jordan Metzgar at the Massey Herbarium on campus, and the skills I acquired there are highly relevant to my upcoming position at The Polly Hill Arboretum.
What extracurricular activities and leadership roles have you been involved in? How did they impact your overall experience?
In addition to my leadership role in the aforementioned service project, I was part of the leadership team for the foraging club, Fungus United, and recently began attending slacklining club meetings.
Extracurricular activities such as these gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from other students with similar interests, as well as spend time outdoors, which is something that heals and grounds me amidst the everyday busyness.
How did scholarships or financial aid advance your education and college experience?
Earning scholarships was a way for me to contribute to paying for my education without working a job during semesters, which in turn allowed me to focus on my studies while leaving time for the hobbies and activities that keep me sane, as well as for the people most dear to me, without whom my college experience would not have been nearly as memorable as it has been.
What are you doing after you graduate, and what long-term plans do you have for your career?
I am headed to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, to work at The Polly Hill Arboretum as a curatorial intern through the end of this year. I will be working with both nonliving and living plant collections in the PHA Herbarium and throughout the arboretum grounds.
I am interested in plants as they relate to art, food, culture, and history, so long term I am pursuing a career at the intersection of those elements. After my curatorial internship, I plan to work in a related position, whether working with plant collections, botanical art, or something that I have yet to discover. I plan to have an exploratory career path.
