A Pearl River County native and Picayune Memorial High School graduate is conducting her internship at the Crosby Arboretum this summer.

Danielle Leclercq graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 2016, and went on to attend Mississippi State University School of Architecture where she is working toward a degree in that field.

While working with a team to create “The Unbuilt Arboretum” exhibition, she constructed a model of Faye Jones’ design of the Switzer Pavilion. The exhibition featured a number of designs Jones created for the local Arboretum that were never constructed. At the gallery opening held in March, she met the Arboretum’s Director Pat Drackett, who subsequently offered her an internship at the local native plant exhibit.

During the summer, she will be helping the staff with various tasks such as the development of marketing materials, while also learning about local plant life.

Leclercq remembers the first time she visited the Arboretum. It was during a field trip in second grade. She is looking forward to learning all she can at the Arboretum, such as the types of plant life that compliment architecture in landscaping.

Her busy summer will also include helping out with a workshop at the university called “Design Discovery Camp,” where she will mentor first year architecture students.

When she receives her degree, she plans to focus on residential architecture.

Her internship will end in August when she returns to Mississippi State University to complete another year toward her five-year degree.