By Deb Kroon
Review Staff Writer
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is also the summer home for Lismore native, Collin Kemper. Son of Chris and Mindy Kemper, Collin was awarded an internship for the summer and moved to Boston in May. Collin stated that his advisor at Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, SD advised him to go to the STMA website and look for internships that were available in sports turf management. STMA is the non-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage outdoor sports fields worldwide.
Talking to Collin he said,”I am a big baseball fan, so when I found the internship for Fenway, I applied and was accepted.” Fenway Park is the oldest Major League baseball park in the U.S. It was built in 1912. “Working at Fenway Park is really great,” Collin went on. “It’s a great experience for me. Fenway Park is top level turf care, and I probably won’t get a chance like this again. We are expected to keep the field in top notch condition. I do everything from taking care of the bull pen, the pitcher’s mound, home plate to actual turf care in the outfield and the infield. I do something different every day. People do not realize how much is involved in keeping a baseball park in prime condition. We work different hours, sometimes very long hours.”
Collin lives with a co-intern from New York, Joe Miles. “It’s pretty expensive out here,” Collin said. “All of the interns got together before we started and decided who was going to live with who to help break up the cost. It’s worked out very well”
Collin will return to the area in mid-August and then return to SE Tech to finish his final year. Upon graduating, he will have a degree in Sports Turf Management, Landscape Design and Horticulture, as well as a background in business. Collin would like to pursue his dream of owning his own landscaping business. He’s not sure exactly where he will land, but with his multiple degrees, no matter where he lives he will be able to get a job doing something he loves-probably not the level of Fenway Park, but who knows what the future holds. Fenway Park-what a great way to spend a summer.
