Halee Dams ’12: Growing a Life She Loves in Her Garden Dams was recently featured on the cover of the magazine "In Her Garden."

In 2019, Halee Dams ’12 was a new mom trying to make sense of her new identity as a parent. 

“I wanted to find a hobby that was grounding and would help me connect with myself during the often challenging journey of being a mom,” says Dams, who took a year off from her job as a social worker when her son was born. She has since entered private practice as a clinical therapist. 

“I kept finding myself drawn to flowers, so I began reading about what it takes to grow a cut flower garden. I came up with a plan to turn a small patch of my yard into a cut flower garden, and it really took off from there,” says Dams, who loved growing flowers so much that her garden kept growing. Eventually, she started selling flowers in her Pacific Northwest community, first at a self-serve farmstand, then through local businesses.

This spring, Dams and Marmol Farm were featured on the cover of the magazine “In Her Garden,” where Dams shares about the therapeutic benefits she’s discovered through growing flowers. 

“It has been such an honor to be featured in the magazine and to hear that my experience connects with so many others,” she says.  It feels so nice to hear that my words resonate with others, and I’m really grateful to have been given the space to share what being a flower farmer means to me.”

Dams is appreciative of the community she’s found in her new path.

“From other growers, to happy customers, to local small business owners – I have met so many supportive and kind people throughout this journey,” she says. “I feel more connected to my local community and certainly more connected to the land I live and grow on. Being able to involve my son in this experience has been so special, too.”

Growing flowers has also had a positive impact on Dams’ mental health.

“Growing something in the earth and tending to it can be remarkably therapeutic,” she says. “In the article I share about the health challenges and infertility issues I’ve faced and how much peace and solace I found in the practice of planting seeds, caring for them and watching them grow into beautiful flowers.”

Currently, Dams is content to let the business of growing flowers grow at its own pace.

“I have learned to let each year in my garden unfold as it will,” she says. “If I frame flower farming as a therapeutic hobby that brings immense joy into my life and try not to set too firm of expectations on myself, I find that’s when it feels the most rewarding for me! I hope to continue growing flowers for a very long time.”

Keep reading for more from Dams about her time at Chapman. 

How did Chapman prepare you for life? Any skills or lessons that have stuck with you?

I will always be grateful to Chapman as the place I started to learn to be an adult! I’m grateful for so many lessons learned during my time at Chapman, from critical thinking skills, to learning how to understand and relate to folks with differing viewpoints. I’m also grateful that some of my lifelong best friends I met at Chapman! I received a strong foundation to my social work education at Chapman, and learned how to love being a student in the area of study that I’m passionate about. 

Who was the most influential person for you at Chapman and why?

Dr. Susan Larsen was my favorite professor because she introduced me to the field of social work and inspired me to continue on to grad school after I graduated from Chapman. I really credit her with encouraging me to pursue a master’s degree because before I met her it wasn’t even on my radar. Another professor who had a really profound impact on my education and on me as a human was Dr. Paul Apodaca. I still think of lessons learned in his classes on a very regular basis. He taught me to be a better student with a critical eye. 

What advice would you give to students and recent grads?

My advice to students would be to enjoy your time at Chapman while it lasts. It flies by, so take some time to look around and feel gratitude for the people and experiences that are in your life right now. My advice for recent grads would be don’t worry about figuring your life out right away. Just put one foot in front of the other and head in a direction that feels right to you. If you continue to live authentically to yourself, the rest will fall into place. 

Read more about what Chapman University Alumni are up to on our Class Notes page — and submit your own life updates for a chance to be featured!