ALEXANDRIA, VA – Six students have been selected to receive internships from the American Floral Endowment (AFE) for the March 1 deadline.
Five students were awarded AFE Vic & Margaret Ball Internships and one student was awarded aMosmiller Internship. Each will receive scholarships after successfully completing their internships.
The Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program gives students the opportunity to train for three, four or six-month periods at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery while gaining practical floriculture/horticulture experience. Recipients are:
Thomas Brumblow – three months at Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wash., $1,500 scholarship
Brumblow is majoring in horticulture at the University of Georgia and is a member of the Horticulture Club and the Pi Alpha Xi Honor Society for horticulture enthusiasts. He is eager to become a top grower and produce the "healthiest, largest and most vigorous plants."
Kahli Connolly – three months at North Creek Nurseries in Landenberg, Pa., $1,500 scholarship
An environmental horticulture student at the University of Maine, Connolly is excited to learn new things at her internship, including how industry professionals adapt to changes and new innovations. Growing plants sustainably and being ecologically conscious is one of her career goals, and she hopes to learn more ways to do this efficiently in a production setting or in a botanic garden/conservatory.
Emily Currens – four months at Neal Mast Greenhouses in Grand Rapids, Mich., $4,000 scholarship
Currens is an active student at the University of Georgia, involved in the Horticulture Club and the Pi Alpha Xi Honor Society, as well as the university's trial gardens. She discovered her passion for plants after receiving seed packs at the grocery store she worked at during freshman year, which she used to cultivate her own personal patio garden. Her future career goal is to be an integral part of a greenhouse operation.
Ariana Newton – six months, $6,000 scholarship (placement for Jan. 2018)
A West Virginia University student majoring in horticulture, Newton is a member of two horticulture-related clubs at the university and has had a passion for plants and gardening since she was a child. She wants to work in a garden or greenhouse/nursery after graduation and eventually start her own business in the future.
Amanda Woolley – three months at Tagawa Greenhouses in Brighton, Colo., $1,500 scholarship
Woolley is majoring in horticulture at Kansas State University, and is involved in the Farm Club and Horticulture Club. While attending the university, she learned that her passion was in greenhouse production. Her goal is to work in greenhouse crop production as a grower.
The Mosmiller Internship Program allows interns to train at leading retail, wholesale or allied trade operations for a period of 10-16 weeks, getting valuable on-the-job work experience. The recipient is:
Katelyn Stoops – internship at Kent's Floral Gallery, Columbia, Mo., $2,000 scholarship
A University of Missouri student majoring in agribusiness management, Stoops fell in love with floriculture in high school and discovered her fondness for the design sector of cut flowers while attending university.
She also worked at a student-operated floral shop on campus and hopes to inspire young designers in the future
The next application deadline is October 1. Learn more at endowment.org/internships.
VIDEOS: Three new videos have been released to promote AFE internships. The videos feature students' successful internship experiences and show how host employers are training the next generation of industry leaders. Watch the videos at endowment.org.
About AFE
The American Floral Endowment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the floriculture and horticulture industry through funding research, educational grants and scholarships. Since 1961, more than $15 million has been funded in research and educational projects, and more than $1.5 million has been funded in scholarships and internships designed to attract and retain the future leaders of the industry. To learn more about AFE or make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.endowment.org.
Source: The American Floral Endowment