At GrowIt! we know that the future of our planet lies in the hands of the youth. It’s up to them to plant the gardens of tomorrow! That’s why this Summer/Fall we decided to give away scholarships to Collegiate Students!
We are proud to announce the 2014 GrowIt! Scholarship Recipients! The students below are passionate about plants, and also have a pretty keen eye for a good photo opportunity. Here are their stories (and photos)! Congratulations and Great Job!
Maxwell Mercer
My name is Maxwell Mercer and I’m from Mount Dora, Florida. I’m currently a senior at the University of Florida, and will be graduating this December with a BS in Plant Science, specializing in Landscape and Nursery Horticulture. My parents own a tropical foliage nursery in Apopka. Growing up I would work there whenever we had breaks from school. Throughout my time working there I gained an interest in the company. I plan on taking over the family business and use my knowledge gained during school to grow the company to new heights.
Lindsey Miller
My name is Lindsey Miller. I am a proud Minnesota native who grew up in Brooklyn Park and graduated from Osseo Sr. High School. I am currently enrolled in the Horticultural Science program at the University of Minnesota, and expect to graduate from this program in the spring of 2015. It took me a bit of life experience, and a lot of general courses to realize my hidden passion for environmental science. Upon this realization, it was necessary to choose a more focused area of study: I chose plant science because these organisms were, and continue to be, a key supporter of other forms of life on the planet.
This past summer I was granted a full time internship at the University of Minnesota Display and Trial Garden located on the St. Paul campus. This internship allowed me to observe hundreds of native and locally popular perennial and annual plants throughout the growing season. One of the responsibilities delegated to me was to photograph garden happenings in an effort to draw attention to the garden through use of social media. As I began to do this, I became deeply fascinated by the structure and function of plants in the garden; the ecological interactions that took place before my lens continuously piqued my interest. Thank you to Mason and the GrowIt team for honoring me with this scholarship. I am excited and proud to have my passion for displaying the beauty of plants recognized in this way. I look forward to posting more photos and plant information to the GrowIt! app as the next growing season draws ever closer.
Sarah Swofford
Howdy! My name is Sarah Swofford and I am a senior Horticulture major at Texas A&M University. I’m a native Texan – I was born in Houston and grew up in Keller, Texas. Since I can remember I have been fascinated by nature, especially the plants around me. I followed this love of nature and it has guided me to a more specialized, detailed, and interesting area of agriculture. One of the wonderful things about plants is that there’s always something new to learn about them.
I have also discovered that plants are not just beautiful and interesting, but are critical to life. Realizing how essential plants are to life gives me a passionate desire to find a career involving plant life, sustainability, and the environment. As I move forward I continually remember the necessity of plants in our everyday lives.
Emma Neigel
Hi my name is Emma Neigel. I am from the small farming community of Athabasca in rural Alberta, Canada. I’m a senior at Mississippi State University (hail state!) and studying Horticulture with a Floriculture concentration. My interest in plants comes from my Mother, who frequently had me help her in the garden. I also worked at a local greenhouse throughout high school and had the opportunity to work at Callaway Gardens in Georgia this past summer. I’m looking into doing the Disney internship this summer in and hope to pursue my Master’s degree in Organic Horticulture in the near future.
David Proven
David Proven is a student at Pennsylvania State University where he studies Landscape Contracting with a concentration in management. He grew up in Perkasie Pennsylvania, a small town about an hour north west of Philadelphia. Living in the suburbs brought David into contact at a young age with many beautiful landscapes ranging from large estates to natural landscapes which are abundant in the area. He always enjoyed seeing how the plants in the landscapes were capable of either enhancing or hindering the house which they surround. He was also introduced to plants at a young age because his grandfather is a certified Pennsylvania Master Gardner and so David was brought up living the green-thumb lifestyle.
Lauren Normandin
My name is Lauren Normandin, I am from Berwick Pennsylvania. During high school I attended Columbia Montour Area Vocational School in Bloomsburg where I was a student in the Horticulture/ Floriculture program. My Horticulture teacher Mr. Tim Mauk taught me a lot over those four years but my love for plants began even before that. As a kid, I spent much of my time with my grandmother in her little greenhouse. She showed me the miracle of growing beautiful plants from such small seeds. Because of these two wonderful people I chose to attend the Pennsylvania State University and major in Plant Science Horticulture. After I graduate I hope to manage a greenhouse or a nursery.
GrowIt! 