LEAF (Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation)
2011 LEAF Scholarship Winners
The California Landscape Contractors Association encourages the next generation of landscape professionals by recognizing exemplary academic achievement. This year, CLCA awarded a total of $32,800 in scholarship awards to 17 students pursuing horticulture degrees at California colleges and universities. The scholarships are funded through LEAF, CLCA’ Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation.
- KIMBERLY ARIAS of Modesto received awards from the Associate Member Organization Scholarship and the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship. This fall, she will be a sophomore at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in environmental horticulture. She has been a volunteer at Spyglass Hill Golf Course and involved with FHA, the PLANET Team and the Turf Club.
- ANALISIA BASURTO of Lodi is the recipient of awards from the San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter, and the Sacramento Chapter scholarships, the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship and the Tom Takahara Memorial Scholarship. Basurto, a junior at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, is an environmental horticulture major. Her career goals include working in landscape management.
- CHRISTOPHER BERTILACCHI, a junior at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, is majoring in environmental horticulture and received awards from the Walt Young, Jere Driscoll and Hi Kellogg memorial scholarships. He is working his way through school as a waiter and by owning a small landscape maintenance business.
- SHAY BLACKBURN of Morro Bay is the recipient of awards from the John Brauns, Jaie Wallace, and Tom Blosl memorial scholarships. An environmental horticulture major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Blackburn helped host Cal Poly’s booth at this year’s Landscape Industry Show. She works part time at the Leaning Pine Arboretum and the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens.
- AUSTIN BRADRICK of Mountain View received awards from the Ken Jenner, George Kunimoto, and Hans Biland memorial scholarships. A second-time LEAF scholarship recipient, Bradrick is pursuing a career in contracting. He was a landscape intern at the Madonna Inn and also works in landscaping during the summer.
- CECILY GORDON of Sunnyvale, an ornamental horticulture and landscape design major at Foothill College, will receive awards from the Edron Schneider, Paul Shogren and Ben Slade memorial scholarships. Gordon is currently estimating and doing administrative work at a landscape company. Her goal is to become a landscape designer.
- JEFFREY HILLMAN of Fullerton, a third-time LEAF Scholarship recipient, is a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He received the Orange County Chapter scholarship in addition to the Joy and Warren Thurston, Robert Kaplanek, and Ron Heaviland memorial scholarships. Hillman’s goals are to work at an established landscape firm and ultimately own his own design-build business.
- OLIVER KENYON of Visalia will receive awards from the Elizabeth Lloyd Davis Foundation Scholarship and the Henry Soto/Rose Marie Head Memorial Scholarship. Currently a student at the College of the Sequoias, Kenyon is majoring in ornamental horticulture and landscape management. His goals are to earn his contractor’s license and specialize in Japanese gardens and water features.
- CYNTHIA KONO of Harbor City, an environmental horticulture major at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, is a third-time recipient of LEAF scholarships. This year, she received awards from the Los Angeles Chapter Scholarship and the Tom Yanase Memorial Scholarship. Kono has volunteered at the Learning Pine Arboretum, Cal-Scape Expo and the Landscape Industry Show. Currently, she is an intern at Ewing Irrigation.
- LORI MORRIS of Los Gatos is the recipient of the Herb Frank, Bill Hayes, and Stuart Sperber memorial scholarships in addition to an award from the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship. An ornamental horticulture major at Foothill College, Morris coordinated the college’s exhibit at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. She will pursue her C-27 license in order to combine her design abilities with construction.
- CLARA MUGGLI of Oakland is a student at Merritt College and a two-year winner of LEAF scholarships. This year, she received awards from the Joy and Warren Thurston and the Sigrid Raeth memorial scholarships. Muggli holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Lawrence University and is working to become a licensed architect.
- JORGE RAZO of Salinas, a freshman at Monterey Peninsula College, is the recipient of a LEAF scholarship. Razo currently works for a landscape maintenance company and plans to transfer to Cal Poly, Pomona. His goal is to own a landscape business.
- TRAVIS SCHAEFER of Modesto is majoring in landscape architecture at Modesto Junior College. Currently working at a nursery, Schaefer’s future plans include transferring to Cal Poly. He received an award from the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship.
- MAX SHEEHAN of San Jose is a second-time LEAF Scholarship recipient. A junior at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Sheehan is majoring in environmental horticulture. He received awards from the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Scholarship and the John Lyngso Honorarium Scholarship. Sheehan is a student liaison for the San Luis Obispo Chapter and a PLANET Team member. His goals include becoming a landscape contractor and following in his father’s footsteps as a business owner.
- KRISTA SHEWMAKER of Santa Rosa is a sophomore in environmental horticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. She has shared her talents with the community by designing a garden for a local elementary school, helping coordinate operations at a community garden and working with Habitat for Humanity. She received an award from the Bed Fellenberg Scholarship.
- JON YOUNG of Ukiah is working toward his Landscape Practices certificate and an associate’s degree in horticulture at Mendocino Junior College, with plans to earn his C-27 and pest control applicator’s licenses. Young offers his landscape expertise as a volunteer with the city of Ukiah and at the church where he is a member. He received awards from the North Coast Chapter and the Redwood Landscape scholarships, the Tom Matsuoka Memorial Scholarship and the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship.
- JAVIER ZAMORA of Tracy is pursuing his associate’s degree in horticulture at San Joaquin Delta College, and planning to earn his bachelor’s degree and his C-27 license. Currently working as an irrigation designer and a production assistant overseeing nursery stock, Zamora received awards from the San Fernando Valley Chapter Scholarship, the John Redmond Memorial Scholarship and the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship.