Long Island Flower Growers’ Association Awards First Scholarship

The Long Island Flower Growers’ Association (LIFGA) awarded its first scholarship to Maria Figueroa of Farmingdale State College of New York at its fall dinner meeting on October 27.

The LIFGA established a scholarship fund with the American Floral Endowment in 2010 after fund-raising for more than 12 years. The LIFGA represents growers and retailers on Long Island and promotes research, education, and sales of ornamentals in the local market. The LIFGA scholarship is intended for students from New York who are studying ornamental horticulture or a related field at a community college or a four-year institution.

Maria finished her Associate’s Degree in Horticulture from Farmingdale State College in 2009 and is currently working toward her B.S. degree. She has conducted internships at both Farmingdale State College and Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center. “Maria’s excellent grades, active participation in the Horticulture Club, and applied knowledge of horticulture made her the top candidate for this award” said Dr. Mark Bridgen, Chair of the LIFGA Scholarship Committee.

Now that an endowment has been established for the LIFGA Scholarship, it will be awarded to a Long Island/New York student on an annual basis. Applications must be submitted on-line before May 1 and can be found at www.endowment.org.

Source: Dept .of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University