Columbus, Ohio – AmericanHort has selected six students to serve as the year’s HortScholars. This rigorous competitive application process identifies some of the industry’s brightest professionals and helps to launch their careers in horticulture by providing education and networking opportunities. The goal of the HortScholars program is to provide students with an enriching professional development experience that increases their knowledge, industry awareness, and career enthusiasm.
2015 HortScholars
* Sarah Leach Smith, University of Delaware
* Bobby Nance, Virginia Tech
* Madeline Olberg, Purdue University
* Nick Sobecki, Ohio University
* Emily Teng, University of Hawaii
* William Yoho Jr, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
HortScholars will be on-site at Cultivate’15 (July 11-14 in Columbus, Ohio) and receive complimentary Cultivate registration, lodging, and meals. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary one-year AmericanHort membership. On-site at Cultivate’15, HortScholars will assist the Generation Next Community with events, conduct presentations that share their insight into industry issues, attend the exhibitions and educational sessions, meet with industry mentors, and network at various social events.
More information on this year’s HortScholars, including biographies and photos, are available at www.AmericanHort.org/HortScholars.
Background Information
The HortScholars Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students attending 2- and 4-year colleges and universities throughout the United States who are majoring in horticulture or a related field and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students must complete an online application and submit one faculty letter of recommendation. Up to six students are selected each year.
AmericanHort was formed in 2014 by the consolidation of the American Nursery & Landscape Association and OFA – The Association of Horticultural Professionals. With a combined history of 220+ years, AmericanHort supports nearly 16,000 member and affiliated businesses that include breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, garden retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscape professionals, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry market chain. The horticulture industry's production, wholesale, retail, and landscape service components have annual sales of $163 billion, and sustain over 1,150,000 full- and part-time jobs. Our mission is to unite, promote, and advance the horticulture industry through advocacy, collaboration, connectivity, education, market development, and research. The association has offices in Columbus, Ohio for administration and member services, and in Washington, DC to facilitate government relations and research activities.
Source: AmericanHort