LEAF (Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation)
2007 Leaf Scholarship Winners
The California Landscape Contractors Association, founded in 1952, has been encouraging the next generation of landscape professionals with scholarship awards since the earliest days of the organization. This year, CLCA is awarding 13 scholarships to students at two-year and four-institutions. Each has displayed exemplary academic achievements, and CLCA is proud to help them pursue careers in the green industry.
CLCA's scholarships are funded through its (LEAF) Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation. Application is open statewide to students pursuing degrees in horticulture at community colleges and four-year universities.
- Kristin Avinelis of Kerman is the recipient of the Ken Jenner and Hans Biland memorial scholarships in addition to an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. Avinelis, a student at California State University, Fresno, will graduate in 2008. Her degree will be in agriculture education with an emphasis in plant science. She is an active volunteer in her community and serves as project leader for ornamental horticulture and agricultural horticulture projects at the Kerman Chapter of 4-H. Her future plans include earning a teaching credential. Avinelis is presently working as an intern for the San Joaquin Regional Supervisor of Agricultural Education.
- Brian Corcoran of Carmichael is the winner of the Jere Driscoll Memorial scholarship. He has also received an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary and the North Valley Chapter. Corcoran is a student at Butte College in Oroville, where he is pursing an associate's degree in environmental horticulture. He expects to graduate in 2008 and transfer to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he will pursue a bachelor's degree. His future goals include a career in landscape construction or nursery operations. Corcoran is a member of the student chapter of CLCA at Butte College and president of the horticulture club. He is also a volunteer with Agricultural Ambassadors, a national leadership organization, and is working on projects in Chico and Oroville. In addition, he is a student trustee of the Butte-Glenn Community College District.
- Mike Diefenbach of Saratoga is a sophomore at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and the recipient of the John Lyngso Honorarium Fund Scholarship and the Edron Schneider Memorial Scholarship, in addition to awards from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Diefenbach expects to graduate in 2008 with an associate's degree in environmental horticulture and design. His career goals include landscape design and installation, geared toward habitat restoration, and he plans to apply for his C-27 license as soon as he is able. This summer, he enrolled in coursework that will enable him to become certified as a wildlife habitat naturalist. He works at Asten Landscape in Saratoga.
- Jessica May of Ukiah, a student at Mendocino City College, is the recipient of the Redwood Landscaping Fund Scholarship, the Robert Kaplanek Memorial Scholarship and the Elizabeth Lloyd-Davis Foundation Scholarship. She also won an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary.
- Emily Meigs of Cohasset, a student at Butte College in Oroville, is the recipient of the Herb Frank Memorial Scholarship in addition to an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary.
- Nicolle Miller of Danville is a senior at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and will graduate in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in environmental horticulture. She has received the Sigrid Raeth Scholarship, the Joy and Warren Thurston Memorial Scholarship and the Ben Slade Memorial Scholarship, in addition to an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. Miller's plans for the future include a career in landscape design. She is also considering a master's degree.
- Heather Moore of Healdsburg will graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 2008 with a degree in environmental horticultural science with an emphasis in nursery production. Her career goals include opening and operating a wholesale propagation nursery specializing landscape perennials and shrubs. She has received the Bud Fellenberg Memorial Scholarship, in addition to awards from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary and the North Coast Chapter.
- Katherine Deshotels-Moore of Atascadero is a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and has been awarded scholarships from the Associate Member Organization, the San Fernando Valley Chapter and CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. She will graduate with a bachelor's degree in environmental horticultural science with a concentration in landscape design in the fall of 2008. Currently, Deshotels-Moore is working at Earthscapes, a design/build landscape company in the San Luis Obispo area, and says she would eventually like to head her own design firm. She is an officer for the Landscape Industry Club at Cal Poly and is currently working on the restoration of the landscape at the historic Point San Luis Lighthouse.
- Julia Pollex of Mountain View has been awarded the George Kunimoto Memorial Scholarship, and the Bill Hayes Memorial Scholarship. She has also received an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. Pollex is a student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and expects to receive her associate's degree in environmental horticulture in 2008. Upon graduation, she plans to transfer to the University of California, Davis, where she will pursue a bachelor's degree in environmental horticulture. Currently Pollex is program assistant to the director of the horticulture program at Foothill College and runs her own landscape maintenance business. In addition, she is working as an intern at Confidence Landscaping Inc. in Campbell, and is the incoming president of Foothill College's CLCA/Horticulture Club.
- Linda Ramsey of Long Beach is a student at Long Beach City College and will graduate in 2008 with an associate's degree in ornamental horticulture. Her future plans include a transfer to Cal Poly, Pomona, where she will pursue her bachelor's degree. Ramsey received scholarships from the Orange County Chapter and CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. She is also the recipient of the Tom Takahara Memorial Scholarship and the Hi Kellogg Memorial Scholarship.
- Amanda Rosa of Santa Maria is a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she is pursing a bachelor's degree in environmental horticulture science. She will graduate in 2009. Rosa has received the Tom Yanase Memorial Scholarship, the Ron Heaviland Memorial Scholarship, the Tom Matsuoka Memorial Scholarship and an award from CLCA's Women's Auxiliary. Rosa's plans include earning a teaching credential and teaching high-school horticulture or agriculture. She currently is a FFA volunteer at Santa Maria High School.
- Jesse Samson of Torrance is a student at Cal Poly, Pomona, and is the recipient of awards from the LA/San Gabriel Valley Chapter and CLCA's Women's Auxiliary
- Nicole Spencer of Bakersfield is a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and has received the John Redmond Memorial Scholarship and awards from the San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter and CLCA's Women's Auxiliary.