News
Thank You, 2025 Scholarship Reviewers!
July 22, 2025
At AFE, we’re deeply committed to supporting the next generation and sharing with them the many exciting careers and possibilities within the floral industry. However, recognizing that the cost of education can be a major hurdle for students, our scholarship program is designed to ease that burden and empower as many students as possible each year.
We are excited to share that in 2025-2026, we will be awarding scholarships to 22 students for a total of $74,000.
“With over 130 scholarship applications this year, a 23% increase compared to last year, it’s exciting to see the numbers of students studying and preparing to join the workforce,” says AFE Program Manager Candice Musgrove. Notifications are going out to all applicants, and the official scholarship announcements will be made in the next few weeks.
Each year, there are more and more students that do not receive scholarships due to limited resources. If you’d like to make a contribution to help support these vital scholarships, click here. The number of colleges/universities represented in our applications has also broadened compared to previous years, which shows our outreach has helped boost awareness about scholarships and student resources to new levels.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of our volunteers and supporters. This year, 67 dedicated individuals lent their time and expertise to help review scholarship applications—playing a vital role in nurturing the future of the floral industry.
We Are Grateful to the 2025 Scholarship Review Team:
Dr. Damon Abdi – Louisiana State University Agriculture Center
Ken Altman – Altman Plants
Tulle Alexander – Altman Plants
Jenny Behlings – J Ellen Design & Market
Lacee Bilke – Madeline’s Flowers *
Lenzee Bilke – Madeline’s Flowers *
Dr. Megan Bowman – Ball Horticultural Company
Dr. Mark Bridgen – Cornell University
Emilly Chockley – Green Circle Growers
QiuXia Chen – Dummen Orange *
Greg Dedman – Mountain View Greenhouse
Patricia Dewar – Dewar Nurseries
Sarah Dusharm – Armellini Logistics
Lizbeth Ecke – Carltas Company
David Garcia – Pete Garcia Company/Garcia Group **
Haramrit Gill – University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources *
Denise Godfrey – Olive Hill Greenhouses
Ockert Greyvenstein – Ball Horticultural Company **
Monique Hakkert – Ball Horticultural Company
Dr. Josh Henry – Ball Seed *
Jim Hessler – Altman Plants
Sarah Humki – Green Circle Growers
Dr. Nathan Jahnke – Ball Horticultural Company *
Annika Kohler – Oceanfront Farms *
Suzie Kostick – Flora Renaissance
Dr. Charles Krasnow – Volcani Institute *
Mary Lewis – Syngenta Flowers *
Leynar Leyton – University of Florida *
Dr. Shahla “Sara” Mahdavi – University of Idaho
Abby Marion – Albin Hagstrom & Son, Inc.
Dr. Neil Mattson – Cornell University
Dr. Navreet Mahal – Texas A&M University
Mason Marshall – Texas A&M University *
Michelle McElhannon – Dummen Orange
Dr. Chad Miller – Colorado State University
Dr. Terril Nell – Retired AFE Research Director
Mike Novovesky – Allied Hort Sales, Inc.
Raymond Odeh – Oakland Zoo *
Delilah Onofrey – Suntory Flowers
Ellen Paparozzi – WE Consult International
Debasish Paul – North Carolina State University *
Monnaie Pepin – CalFlowers
Kauahi Perez – University of Hawaii at Manoa
Aren Phillips – Walters Gardens
Adam Pound – Industry Member
Jelena Prsic – BioWorks
Ralph Pulte – Industry Member
Cindy Rapley – Allied Hort Sales, Inc.
Jordan Richards – CalFlowers
Dr. Nate Royalty – BioWorks, Inc.
Andrew Royer – Royer’s Flowers and Gifts
Greg Royer – Royer’s Flowers and Gifts **
Dr. Debalina Saha – Michigan State University
Karen Schneck – Scotts Miracle-Gro *
Ankit Singh – University of Maine *
Dr. Brent Sipes – University of Hawaii
Brandan Shur – North Carolina State University *
Brian Sparks – Meister Media Worldwide
Dr. Eric Stallknecht – Virginia Tech *
Melinda Taschetta-Millane – Meister Media Worldwide
Jim Tuinier – Post Gardens
Dr. Erfan Vafaie – BioWorks, Inc.
Dr. Simone Valle de Souza – Michigan State University
Julie Walker – Obra Verde Growers
Dr. Anne Whealy – Proprietary Rights International
Dr. Kimberly Williams – Kansas State University
Susan Yoder – Seed Your Future
* Notes Member of AFE’s Young Professionals Council
** Notes Member of AFE’s Board of Trustees
To volunteer as a reviewer of future scholarships or grant applications, please reach out to AFE’s Program Manager, Candice Musgrove, at cmusgrove@afeendowment.org.
Volunteering is a great way to get an inside look at the impact the Endowment funding makes on our industry. You have the chance to provide input and shape the future of our initiatives. Learn more here.
If you are ages 18-35, you are invited to join our Young Professionals Council, which offers additional volunteering and professional development opportunities to the next generation.
AFE’s Scholarship applications are due May 1st of each year and can be completed through our Scholarship Application Platform. You can learn more about each scholarship, including undergraduate and MS/Ph.D. scholarships, by clicking here.
