Phil Pasco decided to attend URI for three reasons: family history, cost, and Landscape Architecture. Though the first two might sound common, as Pasco is one of many with a grandfather who attended URI and opted to enroll at Little Rhody over Roger Williams based on tuition, one might not expect Landscape Architecture to be at the top of a potential applicant’s must-have list. Pasco, however, is not most people.
Originally from the small town of Burlington, CT, Pasco first attended the University of Connecticut in 2008 before deciding to leave, though the experience he gained working with the land made him decide to go into a field involving sustainable agriculture. After taking some time off from school, Pasco moved to Rhode Island two years ago with hopes to go into the agriculture industry. “When I moved to Rhode Island, I decided I wanted to start a gardening design business. I wanted to build it into something larger, but I didn’t have the tools and knowledge to start. I didn’t know landscape architecture was a profession until I had to do it myself,” he states, “I went to URI because they’d give me the tools to help me start my own business.”
Starting out as an Art major, Pasco eventually changed to Landscape Architecture due to the program’s reputation and his drive to start his own business. “I thought I could incorporate art with my interest in gardening and sustainable agriculture,” he states. Come 2020, Pasco will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, his dreams from his early days at UConn finally coming to fruition. He dreams of starting up his own landscape architecture firm in Rhode Island before moving on to take on more international projects. To those starting out their careers in the College of Arts & Sciences, Pasco states, “Make sure you are hard-working and goal-oriented. It helps a lot when you feel like you have a purpose to work towards. A lot of people go into majors unsure that it’s what they want to do. If you’re going to go into a major, make sure it’s something you’re really passionate about and something you can find a purpose in doing.”
-Written by Chase Hoffman, Writing & Rhetoric and Anthropology Double Major, ‘20