Alex Bindrim is one busy Ariel intern. The Ariel program is a paid summer internship that offers students individualized opportunities for career exploration, and Alex is wearing many hats working at the beautiful Santa Fe Botanical Gardens this summer. He waters plants in the morning, weeds, and deadheads flowers. He takes photos and contributes to the ongoing plant identification list as well as to the Botanical Gardens’ stock photo catalogue. He’s helped write grants, too – and manages the busy parking lot during large events.

Ever the Johnnie, however, Alex highlights the sense of “mindfulness” he experiences in such a serene place, where, he says, everything in the natural world and everything he does seems connected. Perhaps it’s no coincidence after Alex’s upcoming senior year, he’d like to join the Peace Corps. Alex says he wants to use the skills he’s learned at Santa Fe Botanical Gardens – as well as his St. John’s education -- to make his contribution to the world.