The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Foundation awarded $69,100 in scholarships to 53 students during the National Collegiate Landscape Competition, held March 16-19 at Mississippi State University.
The Foundation also awarded the President’s Scholarship, a $3,000 scholarship, to Ben Harcey from Michigan State University. The President’s Scholarship is selected by the Foundation judging panel, which looks for a student who excels in academics, industry-related activities and community service, according to NALP.
“The Foundation continues to build the future of the landscape workforce through our schools,” said Miles Kuperus, NALP Foundation president. “We continue to attract the best and brightest within the industry to help build the program and inspire these students and develop these great minds.”
The donors, or Foundation Ambassadors, who funded the scholarships were on hand to present the awards to the student recipients. One Foundation Ambassador, Maria Candler, president and CEO of Virginia-based James River Grounds Management, has committed to donating $1,000 for 25 years.
“James River is really big on personal growth, development and education, so we want to foster that environment from the beginning,” says Greta Hoyt, business developer at James River.
Rodger Phelps, corporate communications manager for Stihl, was the host for the Foundation Scholarship Reception. Stihl is a founding ambassador of the Foundation Scholarship Program and has been for more than 20 years.
According to Phelps, the green industry does amazing things to improve the quality of life in communities across the country, “but these things don’t just happen.”
“So the question becomes, who are the future caretakers of all these green spaces? It’s these students,” Phelps said. “So if we, as an industry, don’t invest in their future, then we as a profession don’t have a future.”
