A Path to Success – Emma Lookabaugh Shares the Impact of AFE

Behind the work that the Endowment undertakes to provide for the floral industry are the moving stories of our impact. Back in 2014, a promising NC State graduate student and ornamental enthusiast was awarded the prestigious Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship through AFE – her name was Emma Lookabaugh.Emma credited this award and the Endowment with aiding her career advancement and helping to fund her education. With these pressures alleviated, she found more time to focus on her research and take on new opportunities.Now a Technical Service Representative of Turf & Ornamentals for the Southeast United States for BASF, Emma’s dedication to the industry, investment in her education, and successes are a testament to the impact of AFE’s scholarship programs.They say,…

Requesting Input for Young Professionals Seeking Careers in Our Industry and Academia

 AFE’s Young Professionals Council (YPC) wants to hear from you!Feedback from experienced industry members is vital for AFE’s Young Professionals Council and other new graduates as they navigate their early careers and decide on a path for their futures. These surveys will provide critical insights that we will compile, summarize, and provide as a resource to young professionals interested in entering academic careers. These surveys are fully anonymous. Tell us about your career experience! Take ONE of the two 5-minute surveys below based on your current career and share with your network.  Do you have an industry career in floriculture or horticulture? Take Industry Career SurveyDo you have an academic career in floriculture or horticulture?Take Academic Career Survey About YPCAFE’s Young Professionals Council offers leadership and…

Call for Applications: Paid Internship Opportunities Available

We are accepting applications for two floriculture/horticulture paid internship programs – the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and the Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program.Applications are due October 1st! Our internships are the best way for students to gain hands-on experience that helps them toward their future careers. Since their inception, our programs have been awarded 1.3 million dollars in scholarships to deserving students in the industry.Apply TodayVic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship ProgramThe Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program provides the opportunity 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 In addition, faculty are reimbursed up to $1,000 in travel expenses to…

2021 Paul Thomas Floriculture Production Intern of the Year, Sherman Hartman

Essential Experience, Passion & DedicationA large part of our industry’s future relies on the minds and green thumbs of young professionals studying, researching, and working in the field.The American Floral Endowment recognizes one such prodigy by awarding the 2nd annual Paul Thomas Floriculture Production Intern of the Year Award. This year, we are pleased to bestow this honor on Sherman Hartman of Iowa State University for his exceptional hard work and dedication to our industry.Sherman made his skills and passion for greenhouse floral production clear during his internship at Tagawa Greenhouses in Denver, Colorado. Sherman completed this internship in 2020 through the Endowment’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program, qualifying him for this prestigious award.About the Paul Thomas Floriculture…

$1 Million Awarded in Scholarships through the Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Program

Building the Bridge – The Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program celebrates a milestone. Here’s one thing that’s absolutely essential to keep an industry, and everyone in it, thriving: fresh talent. Especially in demanding fields like horticulture and floriculture, everything depends on the continual renewal of the professional workforce with smart, well-prepared young people who can take up the banner and infuse the tradition with their energy and insight. But where do those young people come from? They need the right academic background, of course. But they also need to have a realistic sense of where they’re heading. They need a modicum of experience to have truly discovered their passion and be committed to a challenging but rewarding career……

2020 AFE Internship Awards and Placements

AFE congratulates and celebrates the eight students recently awarded an internship through the Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program and the Mosmiller Internship program.  Each will receive scholarships after successfully completing their paid internships, lasting between three to six months. It’s a win-win for the industry – students can apply their knowledge, while industry organizations bring top talent and fresh thinking to their operation. Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Awards The Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program provides students the opportunity to gain practical floriculture/horticulture experience while training at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery. Students will intern away from home for three, four, or six-month periods, and upon completion of their paid internship, they will receive a scholarship in…

Inaugural Paul Thomas Intern of the Year – Renata Goossen

Cultivating the Next Generation It’s always good news to learn that a smart, hard-working, dedicated young person is preparing for a career in horticulture and floriculture—one where she can be expected to contribute mightily to higher standards, better products, innovative techniques, and a healthier marketplace for flowers and plants.It’s even better news when that person is an adept communicator, likely to serve as an impassioned, articulate ambassador for the industry we love so well.Such a person is Renata Goossen, the first-ever recipient of the Paul Thomas Intern of the Year Award, created to recognize an outstanding student who has successfully completed a Vic & Margaret Ball Internship.As the Paul Thomas award recipient, Goossen will be provided with free registration, paid…

AFE is Working for the Industry – Today and Tomorrow

In these unprecedented times, we hope that you are—and remain—safe and healthy. We know that the stress, anxiety and uncertainty is taking a toll on you, your family and floral businesses in ways we can’t even fathom. We want you to know that in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) is working for the industry.We’re still serving the industry. AFE remains deeply committed to you and everyone in the industry. The Board of Trustees and staff are working behind the scenes to make sure funding for research, grants, scholarships and internships are available to fulfill AFE’s mission, and provide the industry with necessary resources.For nearly 60 years, AFE has provided solutions to industry challenges through…

AFE Announces Ferriss Horticulture Scholarship

The American Floral Endowment announces a new scholarship fund to honor and recognize Dr. Terry Ferriss.Dr. Ferriss retired in 2015 from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF), after 36 years of teaching. She was the first tenured female faculty member in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UWRF; the first woman to serve as the Plant and Earth Sciences Department chair, and the first woman to serve as an associate dean for the college.Terry served as a faculty advisor and supporter of the AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship committee for 14 years. Following Terry’s retirement, UWRF alumni joined forces with AFE to establish a new scholarship to forever honor Ferriss and her devotion to horticulture and…

AFE Launches Career Center for the Floral Industry

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has launched a new industry-wide Career Center to connect floral industry employers with job seekers, students, and other professionals pursuing careers in the floriculture and horticulture fields.Within the new AFE Career Center’s intuitive platform, powered by YM Careers, employers can easily post job opportunities, screen and manage applications, and access a resume database of targeted candidates.  Job seekers will find it equally easy to post their resume and search for jobs and/or internships that match their skills and interests. The platform is completely mobile-responsive ― users can access it anytime, anywhere.“Finding qualified, dedicated employees is one of the greatest challenges facing the floriculture industry. The Endowment maintains close connections with students, young professionals, floral businesses, and horticulture…

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