Page 6 - Free State Summer 2022

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
VANESSA A. FINNEY
Executive Director
6 SUMMER 2022 • Free State News
It is scholarship season and I’d like to give a shout-out and congratulations to all
of the MNLGA’s annual scholarship recipients. In short, the MNLGA offers $16,000 in
scholarships annually to college students, junior year through graduate level who
are pursuing a degree within the ornamental horticulture or landscape architecture
professions. This year, all three of our $5,000 awardees are pursuing their master’s
degrees in Landscape Architecture at Morgan State University in Baltimore. One is
a graduate of the Baltimore County-based American Landscape Institute, having
gotten her ALI work experience at Babikow Greenhouses, and a second is working
full time at MNLGA member Chesapeake Natives, while working on her masters.
Our final recipient realized she had a passion for the industry while studying
environmental science at UMD.
The MNLGA’s final scholarship, the $1,000 Link-Shanks award, was presented to a
rising senior at the University of Maryland. The University of MD selects the annual
recipient of the Link-Shanks Award; this student is the individual who has shown the
most improvement in academic coursework during the year.
Read more about all of our scholarship recipients on page 39. Be sure to encourage
the students within your influence to apply for these scholarships next year.
Speaking of students, it has been a banner year for high school students who are
enrolled in programs that teach the CPH curriculum. High school students have been
studying the CPH Basic curriculum in their horticulture classes for the past dozen
years. Success with the exam over the years has been sporadic. But in this past year,
many more students than average passed the exam. I’d like to thank the teachers,
parents, and students themselves, who worked so hard to achieve this success.
More on education – have you registered yet for MNLGA’s annual summer Field
Day? After a two-year delay, we picked up the programming originally planned
for 2020 and are going to Longwood Gardens! Our day includes a pest walk, tour
of the brand-new research and production greenhouse, stewardship and ecology
presentation, and time at the end of the day for you to enjoy the gardens at your
leisure. Attendance may be limited, so register now if you are interested in joining.
You may register via the MNLGA website, www.mnlga.org.
Calling all golfers - also coming up in September is the annual MAEF/MNLGA golf
tournament. September 14th at Oakmont Green Golf Club in Hampstead. Proceeds
benefit ag education scholarships. Register online at www.maefonline.com.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you in September! A
Vanessa A. Finney
Executive Director
MNLGA
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
~Benjamin Franklin