San Luis Obispo, Calif. – The Shinoda Foundation has announced that its elite Shinoda Scholar of the Year award for 2015-16 will go to Melinda Knuth, a senior horticulture major at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
“Melinda’s drive to succeed and her passion for horticulture at its deepest roots make her an excellent choice for the elite company of Scholar of the Year award winners,” said Bob Otsuka, president of the Shinoda Foundation.
Hailing from Hartford, South Dakota, Melinda is working toward a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. The 21-year-old plans to pursue a career in wholesale floristry.
“Melinda strives to maximize every opportunity, and her dedication and commitment to reaching her goals motivates her in all her interactions,” one professor commented in her recommendation. In addition to her studies, Melinda has worked in the Wheat Seed Lab, is president of the Horticulture Club, served as a Walt Disney World intern and was inducted into multiple honor societies.
For 2015-16 the Shinoda Foundation Board of Trustees awarded seven scholarships plus grants to colleges and universities, all totaling $22,000. Since 1965, The Shinoda Foundation has awarded more than $811,000 in scholarships to 667 students.
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. Incorporated as a separate entity in 1972, the foundation has awarded scholarships valued at more than $811,000 to nearly 667 undergraduate floriculture students since 1965.
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 and accepted from January until March 30 each year.
Information about making contributions to the foundation or about its scholarship program can 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.
Source: Joseph Shinoda Memorial Scholarship Foundation