DENVER— Colorado Garden Foundation (CGF), a non-profit that funds horticultural-specific projects and scholarships throughout Colorado, has awarded two full-ride scholarships to graduating Colorado seniors, to pursue agriculture and horticulture related careers.
CGF’s executive director and members of its board spent two days and traveled 1,100 miles, to interview candidates across the state for its scholarship program, which is in its 11th year. After narrowing an exceptional list of candidates down to just two finalists, the board made the decision to award a full ride at Colorado State University to not one, but two candidates.
Tyler Camblin of Holyoke, Colo. will attend CSU this fall, where he will study soil & crop science and agriculture business with plans to become an agronomist. He intends to “soak up the knowledge of many professionals who will teach [him] how [he] can help the future of farming and prepare [him] to be an asset to the industry that feeds the world,” according to his application.
CGF awarded a second full ride scholarship to CSU to Mary Fuchs of Monte Vista. Fuchs will attend this fall, studying environmental horticulture with plans to become a natural resource specialist. She plans to “double major in environmental horticulture and foreign language to help make communication between countries regarding the environment easier,” according to her application.
“This was a special year for our interview committee, as we simply could not decide between these two outstanding candidates,” said Jim Fricke, executive director of Colorado Garden Foundation. “Proceeds generated from our annual Colorado Garden & Home Show and Colorado Fall Home Show are what make these scholarships possible, and we’re grateful and honored to contribute to not just one, but two talented and deserving students, who will do great things in the fields of agriculture and horticulture in the years to come.”
With these two full scholarships, CGF brings its annual scholarship and grant giving total to $706,813 in 2017, and more than $7.8 million across the state to date. Included within this 2017 figure was $521,972 in grants, including matching grants of $22,350 provided by Bellco, to 61 Colorado organizations for horticulture-related projects.
The two major grants awarded include a grant of $75,000 to Sewall Child Development Center, to help build a new sensory garden at the school. The second grant is for Englewood Schools for the amount of $74,341, to fund a new greenhouse at the school.
Other Colorado Garden Foundation grants range from $200 to $15,000, with funds supporting community gardens, greenhouses, a horticulture therapy program, a healing garden, a children’s reading garden, landscape and trail improvements, a bird habitat and educational gardens and programs, just to name a few. Local grant awards went to High Valley Community Center, $5,000 and La Puente, $15,000.
Since the 1970s, Colorado Garden Foundation has awarded more than $7.8 million to more than 300 organizations in Colorado. To learn about the grants and scholarship program, please visit ColoradoGardenFoundation.org.