The Garden Club of Alabama, Inc.
2009-2010 Scholarship Program
SIX ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY
The GCA Horticulture Scholarship
$2,838.00, Ben Cleveland, Hoover Alabama
Sponsored by:
Left Over Diggers Garden Club, Birmingham, District III The GCA Mary Hall Ware Horticulture Scholarship
$2,737.00, Kira Chaloupka, Opelika Alabama
Sponsored by:
The Opelika Federation of Garden Clubs, Opelika, District V
and
$2,737.00, Hanna Pettus, Lauderdale County
Sponsored by:
Town and Country Garden Club, Muscle Shoals, District I The GCA L. M. Ware Memorial Scholarship
$2,500.00, Kerry Stober, Pell City Alabama
Sponsored by:
Pell City Garden Club, District II The GCA Verna Ruffin Welchel Scholarship
$2,417.00, Ann Barganier, Greenville Alabama
Sponsored by:
The Pride of Greenville Garden Club, Greenville, District VI The GCA Forestry Conservation Scholarship
$2,170.00, Michael Hartley, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Sponsored by:
Tuscaloosa Garden Club, Tuscaloosa, District IV The GCA Landscape Design Scholarship
$2, 648.00, Steven Green, Daphne, Alabama
Sponsored by:
Daphne Garden Club, Daphne, District VIII
Anne-Maria Murphy, Dothan, Alabama
$1,750.00, Third Runner-Up
National Garden Clubs, Inc.
2008-2009 Scholarship
GCA L.M. Ware recipient is Kerry Stober of Pell City, District 2 sponsored by the Pell City Garden Club. Kerry is a sophomore in Horticulture-Greenhouse and Nursery Science. She has worked at the St. Clair Farmer's Co-op for over three years and Game Stop for almost two. Last summer she also assisted with local Master Gardener preparations for a Garden Tour in her area. Kerry is a member of Hort Forum and is participating in the Horticulture Study Abroad Program this summer in Northwest England. The Garden Club of Alabama recipient is Benjamin Cleveland of Hoover, District 3. Ben is a sophomore seeking a dual degree in Business Management. Benjamin was homeschooled. While in high school spent 8 1/2 years running a lawn business with his younger brother, in his neighborhood, along with working a regular job at Aldridge Botanical Gardens in Hoover. Benjamin is an Eagle Scout, earned in spring 2004.
He has served as a volunteer church pianist at his home church and works 10-30 hours a week as a student at Young's Plant Farm in Auburn. He will be participating in the Horticulture Study Abroad Program this summer in Northwest England taking 5 classes over about 7 weeks. The GCA Mary Hall Ware Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen will be awarded to two students this year. Kira Chaloupka of Opelika High School is from District 5 sponsored by the Opelika Federation of Garden Clubs. Kira is also the 2009 – 2010 recipient of the Deep South Region Scholarship. She is involved in several activities at the high school: President of Mu Alpha Theta and Anchor club, an Officer in the FFA, a School Emissary, a D.A.R.E Role Model, is in the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society, a Member of Spanish club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition to all of that she volunteers at Rescue K 911 as a part of the FFA officer team and at Story Book Farm just as service to the community and to broaden her experiences. On top of all of that she works at D & K Nursery Growers some during the school year and each of the last 3 summers including this summer. The other GCA Mary Hall Ware Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen will go to Hanna Pettus of Killen, Alabama, but Lexington High School. Hanna Pettus is from District 1, Lauderdale County to be sponsored by Lakeside Highlands Garden Club. Hanna is the current year's FFA Secretary, greenhouse manager of her school's greenhouse, and was a member of the Schools 2008 Floriculture team that made won district, state, and placed in the silver division at Nationals. Hanna was the overall hightest scorer in the North district in Floriculture and in the top 5 in the state in Floriculture, and placed 81st in the nation in Floriculture. This year she is going for a repeat in a different division as a member of the 2009 Nursery/Landscape team. She has one of the highest GPA’s at her school and we are glad to introduce her to you today. The GCA Verna Ruffin Welchel is Anne Barganier of Greenville, sponsored by Pride of Greenville Garden Club, District 6. Anne is a senior graduating in Spring 2010 in Greenhouse Science with a minor in Agronomy and Soils. She is a student worker in Agronomy & Soils Research and is a member of Hort Forum, Ag Ambassadors, and Ag Council. She participated in the Horticulture Study Abroad Program in the summer of 2007 at Myerscough Agricultural College in Northwest England taking 5 classes over about 7 weeks. Last summer she worked at Randle Farms just outside of Auburn with the Community Supported Agriculture program and will be working there again this summer. The recipient of the GCA Scholarship for Horticulture Students Studying Landscape Design is Steven Green of Daphne, Baldwin County, District 8 sponsored by the Fairhope Garden Club. Steven’s main interest in horticulture is plants and he is crazy about plants and really enjoys seeing how they are incorporated into a landscape. As for a professional horticulture career he plans on going to graduate school for Landscape Architecture with aspirations of opening his own business. He will be participating in the Horticulture Study Abroad Program this summer in Northwest England taking 5 classes over about 7 weeks. Michael Hartley of Tuscaloosa, GCA Forestry Conservation Scholarship winner, sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Garden Club, District IV. Michael is active in RUF, received the 2009 Alabama SFA Junior Leadership Award, is the 2009-2010 Forestry Club Conclave Chairman Elect. He served as 2008-2009 Forestry Club Vice President and worked for The Westervelt Company as a summer intern for 2009. An avid outdoorsman, Michael has been selected for several academic honors and scholarships.
Anne-Marie Murphy from Dothan, District 7, has just recently been notified that she received the National Garden Club Scholarship for the Spring Semester of 2009, and she is Alabama’s nominee for 2009-2010. Anne-Marie finished her BS degree in Landscape Horticulture in December and is now working on her Masters of Science in Horticulture. As an undergraduate she was an Ag Ambassador, was selected for Auburn University Who’s Who, and along with Ann Barganier was one of 17 students participating in the Horticulture Study Abroad Program in the summer of 2007 at Myerscough Agricultural College in Northwest England taking 5 classes over about 7 weeks. She was selected for the highly competitive, expense paid Henry P. Orr International Horticulture tour of Italy last year, and continues to be active in our student clubs, Hort Forum and PLANET. She will be escorting 5 students this summer on the Henry P. Orr International Horticulture tour of Spain, and will be the initial faculty rep for the Horticulture Study Abroad Program in England.
Anne-Maria Murphy
_______________________________________
Past Winners
Who Were They And Where Are They Now? Claud Herbert Brown, Jr.
Retired After 51 Years
Owner - Operator
Opelika Floral Company
Opelika, Alabama Claud Herbert Brown, Jr. was the recipient of The Garden Club of Alabama, Inc. first scholarship. It was awarded in 1954. The $250.00 scholarship paid the year's tuition and allowed for the purchase of some of his text books. He received a B.S. Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from then, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, in 1958.
The following was featured in an Opelika newspaper on Wednesday, December 29, 1954:  'OPELIKA YOUTH WINS HORTICULTURE AWARD Claud Herbert Brown, Jr. of Opelika is shown being congratulated after winning the first Garden Club of Alabama award in Horticulture at Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Shown congratulating Claud after presentation of the award by Mrs. W. A. Ruffin, representative of The Garden Club of Alabama, is Dr. D.W. Mullins, executive vice president of API. The award is $250. It will be made annually to the most outstanding high school graduate entering Auburn and planning a major in horticulture. Selection is based on scholarship, character, leadership, activities, financial need, and interest in horticulture. Brown's interest in ornamental horticulture dates back to early childhood. His parents built him a small greenhouse at the age of 10, and at the age of 13 he began working for a local florist where he soon learned floral design. He graduated from Clift High School last May and now owns and operates a flower shop in Opelika. He is majoring in ornamental horticulture at API. Claud was a member of Boy's State in 1953, member of Beta Club and the school's annual staff, and vice president and secretary of his Sunday School class.'
Mr. Brown maintained his floral, landscaping, and green house business until late 2004, retiring after some 51 years. For 15 years, during this time, he also taught "Flower Arranging" at Auburn University.
In looking back to 1954 and receiving the $250 scholarship, Mr. Brown says, "The scholarship made it possible for me to be able to begin my college education. A year can mean so much. I have used what I learned throughout my entire career." |
