Grants Awarded to Support Aspiring Floral Designers

Five floral design programs have received a total of $28,700 through AFE’s James and Helen Phillip Program.Established to honor James and Helen Phillip by providing scholarship assistance to people who are interested in careers in the retail sector of the floral industry, the James and Helen Phillip Scholarship Fund was established with a $500,000 donation by their daughter, Lee Phillip Bell, in 2008.The institutions receiving grants are:Joliet Junior College — $5,000Kishwaukee College — $6,000Mississippi State University — $5,700The Ohio State University ATI — $6,000Texas A&M University — $6,000The application deadline is March 1 each year. Apply here.

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…

AFE Launches Young Professionals Council

AFE has established the Young Professionals Council (YPC), which consists of a vibrant group of 21- to 35-year-old students and professionals in the floral industry.YPC members will use their skills and strengths to help reach other young professionals interested in becoming leaders in the floral industry, provide guidance and feedback on AFE’s programs, and get involved in leadership and learning opportunities through AFE’s programs.“There are crucial industry challenges that need to be addressed, and the YPC is a significant program that I believe will help benefit the industry. I look forward to working with the driven young members of this group to help spread awareness of AFE and build a stronger future,” said AFE Trustee and YPC Board Liaison Dwight…

AFE Now Accepting Applications for $10,000 2015 Ecke Scholarship

Paul Ecke Jr.Are you a current or future graduate student with the skills and passion to become the next notable floriculture researcher or educator? If so, apply for the Paul Ecke Jr. M.S./Ph.D. Scholarship Program now through Feb. 1, 2015. Applications are available online.The scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke Jr. of Encinitas, Calif., who made significant contributions to the floriculture industry and believed strongly in research and education. Ecke was concerned about the future of floriculture and recognized that innovative researchers and educators are necessary for the continued success of the industry.Joshua CraverPurdue University2014 Ecke RecipientApplicants must be in the process of successfully completing either a B.S. or M.S. degree in horticulture or a related field, (e.g., agricultural engineering,…

Oct. 1 Deadline for AFE’s Paid Floriculture and Horticulture Internships

The deadline is Oct. 1 for online applications for AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and the Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program.Completing one of AFE’s two floriculture and horticulture internship programs allows students to:Train at the industry’s top facilitiesDevelop critical skills, potentially improving employment opportunitiesGet diverse, hands-on paid experienceApply classroom knowledge to real and practical situationsStudents can jump start their careers with a life-changing experience in commercial floriculture production away from home with The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program, made possible through a generous gift from Vic and Margaret Ball. This program offers paid internships for three, four or six months and provides scholarships of up to $6,000 upon completion.The Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program honors the late…

AFE Awards Nearly $40,000 in Scholarships

Eighteen students have been awarded competitive 2014 scholarships from AFE totaling almost $40,000.“AFE scholarships provide financial assistance to students as they equip themselves with the education and experience that will help them become industry leaders” AFE Education Committee Chairman Dwight Larimer of DESIGN MASTER color tool Inc. said. “Thanks to the generosity of donors, AFE is able to distribute more than 20 scholarships a year to competitive and deserving students.”AFE awards scholarships annually, and applications are due by May 1 of each year. The online application was recently redesigned to streamline the process beginning in 2015.American Florists’ Exchange Scholarship – $2,400Recipient: Miwa Ishisaka, California State Polytechnic University-PomonaIshisaka, a sophomore studying plant science, aspires to become a plant breeder who creates…

Too Good to Pass Up! Two Students Awarded $10,000 AFE Ecke Scholarships

Joshua CraverNot one, but two promising students have been awarded a 2014 Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship through AFE. The merit-based scholarship honors the late floriculture pioneer and is awarded to M.S. or Ph.D. students who are on track to become exceptional researchers or educators.Joshua Craver, who will soon earn a graduate degree at Kansas State University and begin a doctoral program at Purdue University, and Emma Lookabaugh, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University, were both awarded the $10,000 scholarship.“Generally only one Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship is awarded each year, but this year AFE made an exception to award a scholarship to two remarkable candidates,” said Dwight Larimer, AFE Education Committee chairman and DESIGN MASTER color tool, inc. president.…

2014 AFE Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

Ryanna ZoellnerUniversity of Georgia2013 James Bridenbaugh Memorial Scholarship RecipientNow is the chance for horticulture and floriculture students to apply for more than 20 different scholarships through AFE. The deadline is May 1 to submit applications for sophomore through senior students, as well as for graduate students.AFE encourages students to apply for scholarships early as the need for financial assistance in floriculture and environmental horticulture programs is great. For 2014, AFE will award just less than $40,000 in scholarships.“AFE’s robust scholarships provide financial assistance to both undergraduate and graduate students to help in their journey of becoming the next great leaders in floriculture and horticulture,” AFE Executive Director Debi Aker said. “An investment in their education is an investment in the…

Markham-Colegrave Winner Shares International Horticultural Internship Experiences

Gasteyer at Gärtnerei Umbach, the wholesale nursery where she interned.Brooke Gasteyer, a University of Wisconsin-River Falls senior, long dreamed of traveling to Europe for a horticulture internship. Her dream became a reality when she was awarded the 2013 Markham-Colegrave International Scholarship, funded by AFE and the David Colegrave Foundation.“Working in another country opened my mind and gave me more perspective while broadening my horticultural experiences,” Gasteyer said. “Spending five months in Europe certainly had an impact on me and will continue to in the future.”Gasteyer at the Keukenhof flower show.German wholesale nursery and internship host Gärtnerei Umbach put her straight to work with primulas and violas, which the nursery abundantly produces in many varieties. Later, she began planting new plants…

Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship Offers $10,000

Paul Ecke Jr.AFE is accepting applications now through Feb. 1, 2014 for the Paul Ecke Jr. M.S./Ph.D. Scholarship Program for graduate students who have the skills and passion to become the next noted floriculture researcher or educator. Applications are available online.The scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke Jr. of Encinitas, Calif., who made significant contributions to the floriculture industry and believed strongly in research and education. Ecke was concerned about the future of floriculture and recognized that innovative researchers and educators are necessary for the continued success of the industry.“The Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship has assisted me in the effort to continue my education at Purdue University, where I am one step closer to becoming a future floriculture extension specialist…

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