Patrese Winter Calheiros has pondered what he will leave behind for the next generations. A positive legacy is important to him, and after completing the UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture Certificate Program, he believes he is set up to start forging ahead on creating something that will last well past his time in Los Angeles.

“Landscape architecture is the opportunity to give people a place to pause, reflect and enjoy and live in the present,” he said. “It’s a place to be in touch with nature and be in peace.”

Calheiros has taken on a massive challenge with his capstone project: reimagining the famed Runyon Canyon. He wants to take big swings and make a noticeable impact in the second half of his professional life.

“When I talk about legacy, that is a great opportunity. It is such a big park, under such pressure from erosion and fires and 2 million people visiting every year,” he said. “It’s the kind of place that made me fall in love with L.A. When I’m there, I look out at the city and I feel so blessed.”

Those feelings of gratitude stem all the way back to when he first arrived in Los Angeles. Calheiros grew up in a small coastal town in Brazil surrounded by natural beauty – blue waters and dense forests. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in biotechnology.

“I was really curious about diseases and viruses but not as curious about dealing directly with the patient,” he said with a laugh. “So I was more on the scientific side, and that was important because I really love conducting research.”

At one point early on, Calheiros visited schools, introducing students to infant Brazilwood trees. He would teach them about the vital importance of the tree, and then help plant several on each campus.

“So, landscape architecture was always within me, before I even knew it,” he said.

After moving to Rio, Calheiros realized learning English would be advantageous. He found UCLA Extension, which at the time offered English as a second language courses, and made the move to Los Angeles.

He got married and decided to stay. Calheiros again enrolled at UCLA Extension for business and marketing and hatched the idea to open a high-end plant shop. Before he even had a plant in the store, the name Beverly Hills Orchids was coming up first on Google searches.

“I didn’t know anything about orchids at the time, but I loved them, and the name was a true start,” he said. “We could be found so easily. And we could go to a high-end clientele.”

The classes he took helped him prepare the business with market research and planning.

“The instructors were so positive, and the feedback was amazing from other students,” he said. “I took that idea and made it a reality.”

Success followed, and he began to fully settle in. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the business struggled and Calheiros, like he had done several times before, decided to make another life pivot. He looked to UCLA Extension again, and signed up for the Landscape Architecture Certificate Program.

“I thought the landscape was something I could put my legacy into, and through it make the world a better place,” he said.

The program took some adjusting, but Calheiros reveled in the challenge.

“I was surprised,” he said. “At the beginning there was a lot of drawing, but it was interesting and it made my creativity flow and grow. It’s very intense and hard, probably one of the hardest programs I have done, but I love it and I love the energy. This is the right moment in my career, and I love that this puts me in touch with the planet and the land. It makes me think about a legacy. If you build a park, I will die and 100 years later the park is still there.”

During his time in the program, he served as vice president of the Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects – UCLA Extension (SCASLA UCLAx), where he worked to strengthen student engagement, professional development opportunities and community building within the program. He also created and organized the first SCASLA UCLAx Conference.

“My hope is that the conference becomes part of the program's legacy and continues as an annual tradition for future generations of students,” he added.

Calheiros eventually plans to open his own landscape architecture firm, with a title that might sound familiar: Beverly Hills Landscape Architecture. He has laid out a plan for the next three to five years, and completing the UCLA Extension certificate program is step one. The hands-on nature of the program has given him the confidence to think big already.

“As I prepare to graduate from the Landscape Architecture Certificate Program, I realize how much UCLA Extension has shaped my journey,” he said. “From learning English as a newcomer, to building a business and pursuing a new career in design, UCLA Extension has been a constant part of my personal and professional growth. I am incredibly proud to be part of the UCLA Extension community and grateful for the opportunities it has provided. If there is one lesson I have learned, it is that it is never too late to reinvent yourself, pursue a new passion, and continue learning. I’m a very blessed and grateful person. From where I come from to where I am now, it’s almost impossible. I might not believe it, but it did happen, and it happened to me.”