Cultivating Success: Jyinxs Crisp Digs into Horticulture at MCC
For Jyinxs Crisp, a passion for horticulture began with a single mint plant nearly 10 years ago. What started as a casual curiosity about plants eventually grew into so much more—leading her to pursue the Horticulture program at MCC.
“The wealth of information from the professors at MCC was fascinating,” she said. “Plants are amazing, remarkable creatures.”
Initially, pursuing a career in horticulture wasn’t Jyinxs’s plan. MCC appealed to her because it was close to home, affordable, and offered a wide variety of academic options—including a strong nursing program, which she originally intended to pursue. But once she was introduced to horticulture, she knew she had to learn more.
One of the defining strengths of MCC’s program for Jyinxs was its hands-on nature. Nearly every course incorporated meaningful lab work that brought classroom concepts to life.
“My favorite class was Woody and Herbaceous Plants, which helped with identifying plants and learning about the world around us,” she said. “If that interests you even a little, I recommend future MCC students take Plant Science or Soil Science. There are labs practically every time you meet, and one long-term project that truly helps put farm life into perspective.”
One memorable surprise during the program came from a Horticulture Mechanics project: rebuilding a greenhouse for a charity organization.
“It was an amazing experience. We had to rethink our skills and apply them to a real-world situation. The person who requested the greenhouse shared how much it would help her therapy work. Not everyone can afford a million-dollar setup—so creating a low-tech greenhouse that was truly useful meant a lot.”
The skills she gained at MCC also helped ease her eventual transfer to Southern Illinois University (SIU).
“I learned many things that made the transition process easier—things like plant structure, how greenhouses are managed, and the inner workings within them. And how to graft! I have a whole class at SIU next semester that is just about grafting, and thanks to my experience from MCC, I have a leg up on my other classmates.”
Jyinxs’s long-term goal is to use plants to support health and healing.
“I want to be a greenhouse manager working with hemp—cultivating its healing properties. I’m also really interested in hydroponics and how we can make it more accessible, especially in communities with limited resources.”
Her advice for other students thinking about horticulture or gardening is simple: just try it.
“Go volunteer at a farm. Get your hands in the dirt. People talk about dirt being grounding, but often, people don’t understand it until they’ve experienced it. Horticulture offers something for everyone.”