Sarasota Orchid Society

Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship Award

Each academic year, the Sarasota Orchid Society awards a One Thousand Dollar scholarship ($1000.00) to one student planning to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture, or botany. The scholarship is for a one-year period. Scholarships are not automatically renewed. Grantees must reapply each academic year. Payment is made upon receiving evidence of registration at the college or university of the applicant’s choice.To be eligible for the Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship, applicants must:• have been a bonafide resident of Florida for at least two years preceding the academic year for which application is made;
• be enrolled in a Sarasota or Manatee County High School as a full time student;
• plan to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture, or botany;
• state what college or university you will attend.
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation; one from a staff member of the applicants present school, and two (2) from persons unrelated to the applicant;
• on a separate, but attached sheet, submit a resume of extra curricular activities, honors, leadership, job experience, and non-school activities;
• submit an attached, one-page, typed summary, stating why the applicant desires to achieve higher education pertaining to botanical sciences;
• apply for this scholarship by March 15 of the academic year for which you are applying, and
• provide a current report card.Click here to obtain a scholarship application. If additional information is needed, email the Chairperson of the Scholarship, Sally Werlinich at angus1936@version.net

Current Scholarship Winner 2007

Heather Hill

Selby Gardens Intern Heather Hill Awarded Scholarship from the Sarasota Orchid Society (Sarasota, FL, November 19, 2007):

Heather Hill has been awarded a $2,000.00 scholarship from the Sarasota Orchid Society, Inc. Each academic year, the Sarasota Orchid Society awards a scholarship to one student planning to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture or botany. She is currently pursuing a career in environmental science and conservation at Florida Gulf Coast University. Hill recently completed an internship with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. While serving as an intern with the Gardens she was involved in the symbiotic orchid propagation of the endangered Oncidium ensatum, also referred to as the Florida dancing lady in the Everglades National Park. Oncidium ensatum is unusual in that it grows as a terrestrial plant in the leaf humus. This orchid has a branched flower spike five-feet or more tall covered with bright yellow flowers. The data gathered from this project represents some of the most cutt ing-edge orchid conservation biology research currently going on in the state of Florida. Wesley Higgins, Ph.D, Head of Systematics at Selby Gardens, commented, “Heather’s research is an outstanding conservation example of thinking globally, acting locally. She has no aversion to mud or swamp-water when it comes to orchid conservation.” We are very pleased that our local orchid society is supporting Hill’s conservation project.

Previous Scholarship Winners

Geri Lindsey, Scholarship Committee; Anne Rosenbarger, recipient;
and Sam Boyd, President of SOS - 2003

The members of the Society welcomed the winner of the Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship at our meeting to present her with her award. Anne Rosenbarger is a student whose career goal is to become a researcher in the field of botany. She will be attending Duke University in Raleigh, North Carolina in the fall.

“My interest in research brought me to Dr. George Banez of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Under the mentorship of Dr. Banez I developed my interest in botany into a project dealing with native versus invasive plant species, specifically Florida’s omnipresent nuisance, the Brazilian Pepper verse native species of the same ecological niche. Solidified by a trip to the La Selva Biological Institute in Costa Rica with the Earthwatch program, my curiosity in research has become the cornerstone upon which I plan to pursue my education." Anne Rosenbarger


Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship Award Each academic year, the Sarasota Orchid Society awards a One Thousand Dollar scholarship ($1000.00) to one student planning to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture, or botany. The scholarship is for a one-year period. Scholarships are not automatically renewed. Grantees must reapply each academic year. Payment is made upon receiving evidence of registration at the college or university of the applicant’s choice.To be eligible for the Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship, applicants must:• have been a bonafide resident of Florida for at least two years preceding the academic year for which application is made; • be enrolled in a Sarasota or Manatee County High School as a full time student; • plan to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture, or botany; • state what college or university you will attend. • Submit three (3) letters of recommendation; one from a staff member of the applicants present school, and two (2) from persons unrelated to the applicant; • on a separate, but attached sheet, submit a resume of extra curricular activities, honors, leadership, job experience, and non-school activities; • submit an attached, one-page, typed summary, stating why the applicant desires to achieve higher education pertaining to botanical sciences; • apply for this scholarship by March 15 of the academic year for which you are applying, and • provide a current report card.Click here to obtain a scholarship application. If additional information is needed, email the Chairperson of the Scholarship, Sally Werlinich at angus1936@version.net Current Scholarship Winner 2007 Heather Hill Selby Gardens Intern Heather Hill Awarded Scholarship from the Sarasota Orchid Society (Sarasota, FL, November 19, 2007): Heather Hill has been awarded a $2,000.00 scholarship from the Sarasota Orchid Society, Inc. Each academic year, the Sarasota Orchid Society awards a scholarship to one student planning to major in the study of horticulture, floriculture or botany. She is currently pursuing a career in environmental science and conservation at Florida Gulf Coast University. Hill recently completed an internship with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. While serving as an intern with the Gardens she was involved in the symbiotic orchid propagation of the endangered Oncidium ensatum, also referred to as the Florida dancing lady in the Everglades National Park. Oncidium ensatum is unusual in that it grows as a terrestrial plant in the leaf humus. This orchid has a branched flower spike five-feet or more tall covered with bright yellow flowers. The data gathered from this project represents some of the most cutt ing-edge orchid conservation biology research currently going on in the state of Florida. Wesley Higgins, Ph.D, Head of Systematics at Selby Gardens, commented, “Heather’s research is an outstanding conservation example of thinking globally, acting locally. She has no aversion to mud or swamp-water when it comes to orchid conservation.” We are very pleased that our local orchid society is supporting Hill’s conservation project. Previous Scholarship Winners Geri Lindsey, Scholarship Committee; Anne Rosenbarger, recipient; and Sam Boyd, President of SOS - 2003 The members of the Society welcomed the winner of the Sarasota Orchid Society Scholarship at our meeting to present her with her award. Anne Rosenbarger is a student whose career goal is to become a researcher in the field of botany. She will be attending Duke University in Raleigh, North Carolina in the fall. “My interest in research brought me to Dr. George Banez of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Under the mentorship of Dr. Banez I developed my interest in botany into a project dealing with native versus invasive plant species, specifically Florida’s omnipresent nuisance, the Brazilian Pepper verse native species of the same ecological niche. Solidified by a trip to the La Selva Biological Institute in Costa Rica with the Earthwatch program, my curiosity in research has become the cornerstone upon which I plan to pursue my education." Anne Rosenbarger
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