When you think of careers in horticulture, your first thought might be flower shops or greenhouses—but thanks to Joshua Sloan, a teacher at Crosstown High, Memphis students are starting to see something bigger blooming.
This summer, Sloan was selected to participate in Seed Your Future’s Seed to STEM Program, a national teacher “bootcamp” hosted in Chicago that shows how careers in horticulture connect to subjects like art, science, business, and even English. His mission? Bring that knowledge—and the real-life connections—to students right here in the 901.
And it didn’t take long for a little Memphis magic to pop up.
From Chicago to the 901: A Derrick Rose Surprise 👀
While touring Kennicott Brothers Company—a floral distribution hub that’s like a Costco warehouse of blooms—Sloan had an unexpected encounter that brought his trip full circle.
Derrick Rose—Chicago legend, Memphis Grizzlies star, and newly minted florist who recently opened a one-day pop-up called Rose’s Flower Shop—just happened to be in the building.
🎥 Check out Derrick Rose’s message to Memphis students:
“You have to dream!”
Back in Memphis, Sloan is bringing the energy of the Seed to STEM experience directly into his classroom. Whether a student loves to draw, build, sell, or design, Sloan is helping them discover how horticulture connects to the skills they already have—and to real careers they may have never considered.
Each teacher in the program is crafting a custom lesson plan that ties their subject matter to plant-based careers, and Sloan’s resources will soon be available for free online—making it easier for teachers across Memphis to do the same.
Why This Matters for Memphis
Teachers like Joshua Sloan help students see new possibilities for themselves—and that kind of leadership deserves to be celebrated.
Programs like Seed to STEM spark the kind of career curiosity that can change a young person’s trajectory—and collaborations like this are how we help students see what’s possible.
A special shoutout to Derrick Rose for taking a moment to inspire the 901’s next generation. It’s moments like this that plant seeds we’ll be harvesting for years to come.
