UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For most college students, summer jobs were a necessary evil. But three students got to spend their summer cutting grass and rubbing shoulders with Donovan McNabb, Ray Lewis and other National Football League and Major League Baseball players for college credit, thanks to an internship program in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

As seniors majoring in turfgrass science at Penn State, Nathan Bickerstaff, Aaron Fineberg and Kyle Slaton spent the summer working fulltime and subsequently completing a research project based on their experiences. As products of one of the nation's top program on the care and development of grasses, soils and landscaping, Penn State turfgrass science students are coveted by top-tier golf courses and pro sports team. So, while they do their fair share of hard work, they have the opportunity to combine their favorite loves: sports and the outdoors. And they enjoy some special perks that you don't get delivering pizza.

A typical day for Aaron Fineberg, who interned with the Philadelphia Eagles this summer, included mowing stadium and practice fields, and inspecting the turf for disease. He had the opportunity to meet several Eagles players and coaches including Donovan McNabb, Hugh Douglas, David Akers, Brian Westbrook, Jevon Kearse, Jeremiah Trotter, Lito Sheppard, Andy Reid and many other Eagles stars.

Fineberg helped to apply pesticides and fertilizer and to water and seed the fields. He also helped with equipment maintenance. "I like being hands-on with all of the duties and responsibilities that a head superintendent would be in charge of," says Fineberg. "There is nothing I didn't like about my internship."

Fineberg had similar feelings about entering turfgrass science. "I love being outdoors and getting dirty -- not to mention my love for sports -- so majoring in turfgrass science with a focus on athletic facilities seemed like the perfect job."

During this, his second summer job with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kyle Slaton was allowed to take batting practice from one of the Brewer's coaches before a game, and saw numerous celebrity players, including Sammy Sosa, Derek Jeter and Greg Maddox. He also met Bud Selig last year, and in August saw Jon Bon Jovi, Tara Reid and other artists at Miller Park for Miller Brewing's 150th anniversary celebration.

Slaton and other interns also got to be the boss for a month as field supervisor of Helfaer Field, the Brewers' state-of-the-art Little League park outside of Miller Park. "When you are in charge out there, you get to make decisions about everything that goes on with the field," he says. "This is a great tool because it gives the interns a chance to see what being in charge of a field really involves."

When Slaton worked a night game with the Milwaukee Brewers this summer, his day started at 9 a.m. and sometimes didn't end until 11 p.m. On non-game days, the hours are fewer and the schedule varies according to different projects that must be completed.

"My life basically revolves around sports," he says. "I always dreamed of becoming a professional ballplayer and since I'm not going to do that, I enjoy having the opportunity to be part of professional sports." Slaton also enjoyed working at a plant nursery in high school and feels the turfgrass science major is a great combination of these two interests.

In spite of the long hours and hard work, Slaton loved his internship. "I liked being able to wake up in the morning and really be excited and look forward to going to work. No matter how early I wake up or how much I worked the night before, I'm always excited to go into the stadium and work."

Nathan Bickerstaff always knew he would be doing something with grass. He has worked for a family-owned landscaping business since he was 11. While interning with the Baltimore Ravens, he worked at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium, the team's Owing Mills practice facility and the training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster. He helped renovate and mow fields, perform synthetic-field maintenance and erect new goal posts.

"I enjoyed working in the NFL for a world class organization," says Bickerstaff. "The Ravens treated me very well, and I worked with good people." He worked long days, some up to 14 hours, but enjoyed them. "I also liked working the practices and interacting with the team during mini camps, eating lunch with them and helping out with some of their drills. This has made my internship not just about grass but about everything dealing with professional football." Bickerstaff will have the opportunity to work home games in the fall semester and may have a job offer with the Ravens when he graduates in spring, 2006.

The four-year turfgrass science major at Penn State involves studying grasses, soils, ornamentals and pests, while also taking business and management courses. Students can go on to have careers in both the turfgrass and landscaping industries. Penn State also offers a two-year program in turfgrass management and a World Campus certificate program. More than 1,300 people have graduated from the turfgrass program at Penn State.

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Writer/Editor: Gary AbdullahOffice 814-863-2708