Our Story
The BEE-Co we know and love is a hands-on, student-run beekeeping organization at Southwestern University- but it began with a single spark, a few rescued hives, and a whole lot of curiosity.
How It All Bee-gan
When Layla Hoffen (Class of 2026) arrived at SU in 2022, it felt like the honey bees found her. On a stroll around campus, she stumbled on an abandoned Langstroth hive teetering halfway down a creek bed. Growing up as the daughter of a beekeeper, there was no way she could just walk away.
Instead of leaving the colony to struggle in their haphazard situation, she dove in, relocating them to a small apiary she built in SU’s community garden. There, she nursed them back to health, helping the hive recover from disease and pests- and unknowingly planting the seeds for what would become BEE-Co.
Bees in places they shouldn't bee...
These rescues quickly became a full-time gig! Bees were showing up in all sorts of wild places- inside building walls, water meters, and even trees across campus.
Between classes (and sometimes during them), she started carefully removing these wandering colonies and relocating them to a safe home instead of letting them be exterminated. For a while, it was just her and the bees- a little bee yard full of rescued misfits.
The garden where the first bees were relocated!
Wall full of bees- halfway through a rescue!
From Rescues to Reality
One of these rescues caught the eye of Southwestern's President, Laura Trombley. She connected Layla with Konrad Bouffard, SU alum and CEO of Round Rock Honey, who encouraged her to start a student-powered beekeeping organization. With their support, Layla began dreaming up what this organization could become.
After months of grant writing, budgeting, and brainstorming, SU’s Sustainability Committee approved a $5,000 grant to build a teaching apiary on the EcoLab (SU's ecological research site). With help from her family, she constructed a bright blue equipment shed (the bees’ favorite color!), a screened-in observation deck, and a fenced-in enclosure ready for multiple hives.
Nine hives, dozens of new-bees, endless buzz.
Today, BEE-Co cares for multiple thriving hives (most of which are the original rescues!), has trained dozens of “new-bee” student beekeepers, and earned national recognition for our work.
More than that, we’ve shifted the campus mindset- turning “stinging insects” into pollinator friends- and built a community where anyone can jump in, learn hands-on, and make a difference. From hive maintenance to educational events, BEE-Co is living proof that caring for bees can spark curiosity, connection, and a love for the environment that sticks.
Beautiful brood pattern on this frame!
Butterfly release in the garden!
ALL pollinator love.
But BEE-Co isn’t just about keeping bees (we're even cooler than that). Our community events have engaged over 200 students so far- from beeswax candle-making, to hive-box painting competitions, to butterfly releases and beloved traditions. We also train faculty and staff, guest speak in courses, and have sparked related projects- like a pollinator-themed hiking trail- that expand awareness across campus.
Thanks to these efforts, Southwestern is now nationally recognized by the Xerces Society as the 7th Bee Campus USA in Texas and as the caretakers of a certified Monarch Waystation!
Read on to see what we’ve accomplished and the difference we’re making.