Long known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” Walt Disney World is designed to enchant and inspire the child in all of us. But the magic doesn’t stop at castles, fireworks and costumed characters. Behind the scenes, carefully designed landscapes, vibrant gardens and thousands of meticulously maintained plants help bring the experience to life.
For Neva Grace Brescia, a recent alumna of NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a six-month Disney internship has offered a chance to see how horticulture enhances one of the world’s most recognizable destinations.
Brescia, who graduated in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in agroecology and sustainable food systems with a concentration in urban horticulture, has been drawn to the beauty and science of horticulture and agriculture since childhood. The opportunity to serve as an intern at EPCOT’s Living with the Land, a boat tour of four greenhouses where gardening and agriculture converge, Brescia says, has been a dream come true.
We caught up with Brescia in her final weeks at Disney to learn about what it’s like to help sow a little magic, how her time with CALS has supported her work at Living with the Land, and how the internship has shaped her goals as she prepares to begin a master’s degree in agricultural education and human sciences with a concentration in agricultural leadership development this fall.
What appealed to you about doing an internship at Disney World at Living with the Land?
I had always been somewhat aware of the internship at Living with the Land, but I became much more interested after hearing from a fellow agroecology graduate about how amazing her experience was during the internship term before mine.
Technically, the internship is through the Disney College Program, but I’m also part of the Professional Internship Program, which provides real-world experience in a specific field of study.
Growing up, Living with the Land was the ride that first sparked my curiosity about agriculture and urban growing, so the opportunity to come full circle and help create that same magic for others is what really pulled me to this position. When I saw the Plant Science Internship with Living with the Land, I knew I had to apply.
What do you like about Living with the Land?
Living with the Land is a boat ride in EPCOT that takes guests through experimental hydroponic greenhouses showcasing innovative and sustainable growing systems like Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), aquaponics, drip irrigation and vertical growing. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using a water-based nutrient solution instead. This allows us to closely manage nutrients and quickly adjust for deficiencies or growth issues. All of the plants grown in the greenhouses are edible in some way, and many are used in restaurants throughout Walt Disney World for guests to enjoy.
What are your duties as a plant science intern?
There are four show greenhouses at Living with the Land and four interns, each primarily assigned to one greenhouse. In my case, I work in the sand-culture temperate greenhouse, where we grow staple crops like corn, sorghum, cotton and wheat, along with crops like watermelon, sunflowers and sugarcane.
Each morning, we “open” the greenhouse by clearing debris from the sand, pruning dead or unhealthy leaves, and making sure the greenhouse is showcasing the very best that agriculture has to offer. The rest of the day consists of pulling and planting new crops, harvesting for chefs within Walt Disney, and oftentimes aiding our fellow greenhouse colleagues with their projects. I also work in the support greenhouse, where I help seed, propagate and care for all the plants that are eventually planted on display for guests to see.
How did your agroecology major prepare you for your work at Disney?
My agroecology major really laid the foundation for the work I do at Living with the Land. Because the program combines agroecology, horticulture, and crop and soil science, it gave me knowledge from several different areas that directly apply to greenhouse operations and hydroponics.
For example, hydroponics relies heavily on understanding plant macro- and micro-nutrients, and Dr. David Crouse’s soil science course gave me the foundational knowledge to understand how those systems work. My agroecology courses taught me to think outside the box and approach agriculture through innovative and sustainable methods, while horticulture courses gave me hands-on skills like plant care, pruning, propagation and identifying nutrient imbalances. Altogether, my undergraduate degree gave me a strong foundation that I’ve been able to build on during my internship.
What are some of the standout experiences during your time as an intern at Disney World?
During my internship, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with guests about agriculture while working in the greenhouses. Guests can ask questions about what we’re doing, creating a chance to both educate and inspire. Even though these interactions are often brief, they’ve helped me strengthen my communication skills while sharing something I’m passionate about and, hopefully, sparking curiosity in others about agriculture.
Through this experience, it has become clear that I not only love working with plants, but I also enjoy educating and working with people. Agriculture is such a connected field, where relationships are built between growers and others in the industry, and this internship has helped me understand that my place in agriculture isn’t just in the field, but also in connecting with and engaging the people around it. So not only did I learn how to care for a variety of plants in a multitude of growing systems, but I learned more about myself.
How does your time at Disney complement your plans to pursue a master’s degree?
Interning at Living with the Land has given me hands-on experience and a strong understanding of sustainable growing practices, which I can build on through my master’s degree as I move toward promoting these methods through Extension and other educational programs. I now have a better grasp of different techniques and systems, and my master’s program will help me strengthen my communication skills so I can more effectively promote these innovative practices to the agricultural community.
What are your career goals after graduate school?
I would like to continue working with the university as well as NC State Extension, where I can combine my passions for agriculture, people and North Carolina all in one! Staying in the North Carolina agricultural community is very important to me, and I believe Extension work would allow me to continue building relationships while helping connect North Carolina growers with innovative growing techniques to improve their operations and support long-term success.
By NC State, CALS News
