As a young boy who immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, to Idaho at the age of 10, Ramiro Villafana quickly learned the value of resilience and hard work. The transition wasn’t easy, despite coming to the United States legally with his family — learning English, adapting to a new environment, and navigating the unfamiliar world of American schools often left him feeling isolated.
“I would rather spend time in the bathrooms at lunch because I had no one that I knew or that I could understand,” he shared. But through it all, his parents’ unwavering belief in the power of education served as his guiding light.
After high school, Villafana enrolled at Boise State University to study Mechanical Engineering. But life had other plans. As he started a family in his third year, balancing school, work, and parenting became increasingly difficult. Ultimately, he made the choice to step away from college and return to a familiar trade — landscaping.
“Working as an adult and having gained discipline from life’s responsibilities, I found myself getting better at what I was doing day by day,” he recalled.
That work eventually blossomed into entrepreneurship. Alongside a few partners, Villafana co-founded Luxury Lawn Care, a landscaping company dedicated to quality and service. Around the same time, he was ready to return to school — this time with a clear purpose. He enrolled in the Horticulture Technology program at College of Western Idaho (CWI).
“I chose the Horticulture Technology program because I became part owner of a landscape company, and I wanted to excel my knowledge to provide accurate information to customers,” said Villafana.
Through courses in soil science, irrigation, plant health, and landscape design, he gained not just technical expertise, but the confidence to position himself as a true professional in the field.
“Anything that I learned I was able to use almost right away in my company.”
Villafana’s passion for the outdoors runs deep.
“What I am most passionate about is being outside and providing a connection back to nature for all of our customers,” he explained. “I like that I can be a mediator of nature and people. Connecting with nature is very important, and having a professional knowledge thanks to CWI gives me confidence that I can go as far as I want to go.”
Earning his degree took nearly four years of part-time study while working full-time and raising four children. Studying science in a second language presented its own set of challenges, but late nights and the support of his wife helped him persist.
“My goal of being a role model for my kids when they go to college kept me going,” he said.
Villafana credits his professors, particularly Casey O’Leary, for helping him succeed.
“She built me up to become a better and more confident person,” he said.
Now a proud graduate, Villafana continues to grow Luxury Lawn Care with the skills and knowledge gained at CWI. His advice to students just beginning their journey is simple but powerful: “Always do assignments no matter how big or small they are because everything counts at the end.”
A unique opportunity presented itself for Villafana in 2024. As work steadily progressed on CWI’s new Agricultural Sciences Complex, Luxury Lawn Care found itself bidding for a contract to complete irrigation systems and more for the student-designed Arboretum — a primary feature of the Complex’s landscape design and located at the northern entrance of the College’s Nampa Campus.
They won the contract.
For Villafana, education wasn’t just a stepping stone — it was a transformation. With roots planted firmly in knowledge and a future cultivated through passion and perseverance, he’s blooming in every sense of the word.
Ready to grow your future in horticulture? Learn more about the Horticulture Technology program at CWI.
