San Luis Obispo – Elite students from some of the country’s top floriculture programs received awards totaling $23,500 as the Shinoda Foundation Board of Trustees presented its annual scholarships.
“Our foundation was created to encourage fresh, ambitious young talent to pursue careers in floriculture, and our newest crop of scholarship recipients represents some of the best and brightest,” says Bob Otsuka, president of the Shinoda Foundation.
2019-20 Shinoda Foundation Scholarship recipients include:
- Sierra Hau, Senior, University of Wisconsin – River Falls, $4,000
- Max McKeown, Junior, University of Arkansas, $4,000
- Connor Evers, Junior, Iowa State University, $2,000
- Matthew Brady, California State Polytechnic University, Senior, $1,000
- Joshua Tebow, University of Arkansas, Junior, $1,000
- Gabrielle Thooft, South Dakota State University, Sophomore, $1,000
- Lucas West, University of Wisconsin – River Falls, Junior, $1,000
In addition, Matthew Brady, a senior at California State Polytechnic University, received a $1,000 California Floral Council (CFC) Scholarship. The award, which goes to California residents, was established in 2005 by CFC President Hardy Neuendorff to help offset rising education costs.
This year’s Shinoda Design Center awardee is Robin Temple, a student at Golden West College. She received a $1,000 Shinoda Design Center Scholarship, which recognizes excellence among community college floral design students in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.
Since 1965, The Shinoda Foundation has awarded more than $890,000 in scholarships to 706 students. Along with the individual awards, the Foundation also awards a grant to each student’s college or university.
About the Joseph Shinoda Memorial Scholarship Foundation
The Shinoda Foundation was established in 1964 under the auspices of the California State Florists’ Association in memory of the late Joseph Shinoda, a highly regarded pioneer of that state’s floral industry. The foundation’s purpose is to encourage educational opportunities for young people interested in entering the industry.
Information about applications for the Shinoda Foundation’s scholarships is sent each January to horticulture and floriculture departments at universities across the nation. Applications are available on the foundation’s website, www.shinodascholarship.org, and accepted from January until March 30 each year.
Details about making contributions to the foundation or about its scholarship program can also be obtained from its website, www.shinodascholarship.org, or by writing to: Joseph Shinoda Memorial Scholarship Foundation Inc., 962 Pecho St., Morro Bay, CA 93442, or Pat Broering at pbroerin@gmail.com.
