DMGA Awards Horticulture Scholarships

The DeKalb Master Gardener Association has awarded two horticulture scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year.

Kate Cassidy, a Senior at The University of Georgia, has received a scholarship for $1000.  

Catherine Buckley, a second year student at Gwinnett Technical College and a resident of DeKalb County, has received a scholarship for $500.  

Kate Cassidy is from Rome, Georgia.  With a grandmother who was a farmer, Kate has been gardening since she was three years old.  After starting out as a chemistry major, her main interest is now organic farming.  Kate's favorite course was Post Harvest Biology.  She says her favorite plants are Begonias (the big hybrids).  She would advise older gardeners against getting too excited about new varieties, adding there's nothing wrong with sticking to tried and true plants. 

Catherine Buckley enjoys plant ID classes and considers American Boxwood as her favorite plant.  She discovered her special interest in gardening after a legal career and motherhood by volunteering at the Coralwood School and Diagnostic Center, a public school dedicated to children with special needs. Among her projects at Coralwood have been a sensory garden and outdoor classroom as well as the recently opened outdoor trail.  Catherine became a DeKalb Teacher Master Gardener in 2007. 

Previous DMGA Scholarship Recipients:

2008-2009 school year

Clifford Brock, a General Horticulture student at The University of Georgia, received a scholarship for $1000.  Clifford is pursuing a degree in the Horticulture program and has been gardening since he was ten years old.  His primary horticultural interest is in woody ornamentals, and his favorite class to date is the Woody Ornamentals course with Dr. Tim Smalley.  He returned to UGA after a few years away from college, where he had previously started a degree in music composition.  Clifford is looking at employment options for after he graduates in December of 2009.

Christopher Rigole, an Environmental Horticulture student at Gwinnett Technical College and a resident of DeKalb County, received a scholarship for $500.  Christopher is majoring in Environmental Horticulture, a 2 year program at Gwinnett Technical College.  He will receive an Associate in Applied Science Degree when he completes his studies at the end of this summer. Chris left a career in IT in order to start a  program that will get him out of a cubicle and outdoors.  He particularly likes the landscape design aspect of environmental horticulture, and has taken classes in landscape design, botany and woody plant ID in his one and a half years of study.  Chris is working full time to put himself through the Gwinnett Tech program.

2007-2008 school year

Sean Bloszies, a General Horticulture student at The University of Georgia, received a $1000 scholarship.  Sean's goal is working towards a more sustainable industry and to be in organic production.  He would like to pursue the new Certificate in Organic Horticulture, a recent introduction at UGA, after he graduates in the Spring of 2008.  Sean grew up in Columbus, Georgia.  A dream job for Sean would be to work at Callaway Gardens.

Marjorie Poole, an Environmental Horticulture student at Gwinnett Technical College and a resident of DeKalb County, received a $500 scholarship.  Marjorie will receive an Associate in Applied Science Degree when she completes her studies.  Marjorie left a corporate sales career in order to pursue her lifelong interest in growing plants.  She likes the hands-on aspect of environmental horticulture, and has taken classes in Botany and Landscape Design in her one and a half years of study.

2006-2007 school year

Lara Jackson, a horticulture student in her junior year at The University of Georgia, received a $1000 scholarship.  Lara began her studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta before transferring to UGA. She is interested in finding her niche in the cut flower industry and would like to combine that with her interest in raising greenhouse plants.  Lara's dream is to have a flower shop with greenhouse attached.  To that end, she is taking Dr. Allan Armitage's Greenhouse Crop Production course and has also attended his Woody Plant ID course.

DMGA members are honored to be assisting in the education of the next generation of horticulture professionals.