Ball Internship Scholarship: Why It’s Important

By Christopher J. Currey and Kimberly A. WilliamsThey say Christmas comes but once a year, but undergraduate students interested in floriculture crop production have two opportunities each year to apply for a paid internship with a leading greenhouse operation and gain valuable hands-on experience in our industry. Applications for the American Floral Endowment’s Vic and Margaret Ball Internship Scholarship Program are due March 1 and October 1 each year. This program follows through on Vic and Margaret Ball’s vision to support opportunities for floriculture production students to learn directly from growers. The Balls wanted to give students access to opportunities they may not otherwise have, providing first-rate experiences in nationally renowned production facilities that may not be possible without financial…

My Internship Experience with AFE

By Shanley King, AFE Communications Intern Flowers. I thought I knew all there was to know about them. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some make me sneeze. They can be arranged together or alone, and people buy them for apologies, decoration, well-wishes, romance, congratulations or no reason at all. However, there’s a lot more to flowers than an occasion, a few hometown florists, or a store-bought bouquet. AFE opened my eyes to this, and the entire floral industry. My name is Shanley and I’m a rising senior majoring in Communication Design at Elon University. My expertise in flowers and flower-growing goes about as far as the next non-gardener. What’s the opposite of a green thumb?…

Internships Making a Difference!

For students and the industry In the last year alone, AFE has awarded and placed over 20 students in paid internships at leading floral industry organizations. Internships provide a hands-on learning experience to further classroom experience and create lasting connections in the industry while discovering interests. Students can decide what size, type, and location they are looking for in employment post-graduation. While there is no guarantee, many of our interns receive a full-time position as a result of their internship. As an organization who acts as an internship host, you will be doing your part to ensure the future of the floral industry. By attracting young professionals, you will be addressing a dire need in the industry. Additionally, you will…

Applications for Paid Floriculture Internships Due October 1

Applications are now being accepted for the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program.AFE administers paid internship programs for floriculture and environmental horticulture students each year, and the next application deadline is October 1.Students selected will receive a scholarship upon successful completion of their internships.The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program was made possible through a generous gift from Vic & Margaret Ball and allows students to gain experience at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery. The program offers paid internships in three, four or six-month durations and provides scholarships of up to $6,000.Three videos were created earlier this year to promote the program:The student video shares students’ successful internship experiences and testimonials on…

Bringing Top Talent to the Floral Industry

AFE is once again aiming to attract young business professionals to the world of flowers through its Business Internship Program, now in its third year.An Employer Resource Guide that was created to help companies build a successful internship program is also available, with easy-to-use guidelines and steps to create meaningful learning experiences for the next generation of business leaders.Now’s your chance to host an intern and help eager students contribute to your organization and the floral industry!With support from participating industry organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada, students will gain practical business experience and develop essential skills to help the floral industry prosper.Open to manufacturers, wholesalers/suppliers, retail floral shops, importers and growing operations, AFE will provide host employers with full-time…

AFE Intern Scholarships Awarded to Six Students

Six students have been selected to receive AFE internships for the March 1 deadline.Five students were awarded Vic & Margaret Ball Internships and one student was awarded a Mosmiller 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, University of GeorgiaThomas Brumblow – three months at Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wash., $1,500 scholarshipBrumblow 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…

New Videos Promote Ball Internship Program

AFE has announced the release of three new videos promoting the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program.This paid internship program gives students, who are studying floriculture or horticulture at a college or university, the opportunity to train for three, four or six months at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery.Students will gain hands-on experience and put their classroom knowledge to work!The student video shares students’ successful internship experiences and testimonials on how the program helped them in their careers. The employer video encourages companies to participate in the program by becoming a host employer. This video explains the benefits of hosting an intern, and shows how AFE helps companies train the next generation of industry leaders.The parent video explains to parents what…

Three Students Receive AFE Mosmiller Intern Scholarships

Three students were awarded 2016 AFE Mosmiller Internships. The students will receive a $2,000 scholarship after successfully completing their internships.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.Beginning in 1975 with earnings from a bequest by the late Colonel and Mrs. Walter E. Mosmiller Jr., this program provides quality professional training for motivated floriculture and environmental horticulture students.Kailey BrooksRecipients are:Loren Marie Anthony – internship at Shirley’s Flowers, Rogers, Ark.Anthony is a horticulture student at the University of Arkansas and an active member of the Horticulture Club and the GroGreen Club. She hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the operations of a floral…

Four Students Receive AFE Ball Intern Scholarships

AFE has awarded four students with 2016 Vic & Margaret Ball Internships. The students 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.In 1992, Vic and Margaret Ball made a generous donation to AFE to establish this program to help ensure successful future generations of horticulture professionals.Recipients are:Michael Del Valle, Jr.Michael Del Valle, Jr. – six months at The Sun Valley Group in Arcata, Calif., $6,000 scholarship. Del Valle, Jr. is majoring in horticulture at the University of Georgia (UGA) and is an active member of the UGA Horticulture Club and Pi…

Christopher Currey Joins AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Committee

Christopher Currey, Ph.D. has been appointed as the newest member of AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Committee.Currey is an assistant professor at Iowa State University and works in the school’s horticulture department.As a member of the Ball Committee, Currey will be working with several AFE Trustees and other faculty members to review student applications for the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship and provide counsel to help promote the program to students.Currey obtained his Ph.D. from Purdue University and his master’s degree in science from the University of Minnesota. He has already received several awards throughout his career, including the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012 from Purdue University’s Committee for the Education of Teaching Assistants (CETA). He is also…

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