WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A Pennsylvania College of Technology student has been awarded a scholarship from the Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund, a charitable grant-making organization that supports urban and community forests.
Trinity E. Willoughby, of Danville, earned the $5,000 Fran Ward Women in Arboriculture Scholarship, established by the Penn-Del Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, which provides financial support to foster a greater appreciation of shade trees and promote the science and practice of professional arboriculture by women.
“I want to thank the TREE Fund for awarding me this scholarship and helping me achieve my academic goals,” Willoughby said. “As someone who has worked in the landscape industry since I was 12 years old, it’s nice to see that the industry is giving these opportunities to the next generation.”
Carl J. Bower, assistant professor of horticulture, said Willougby was well-deserving of the scholarship.
“She works so hard in class and lab, and I know she will continue in the industry,” he said. “I’m glad others see her potential the same way we do.”
Little League International landscaper Charlie Lowry was Willoughby’s supervisor for a summer internship from May through August.
Lowry said Willougby’s responsibilities included planting annuals; edging beds; mowing, weed whacking and blowing debris from areas where grass was removed; installing new plantings in landscape; and operating the irrigation system and repairing it, when necessary.
“Trinity was an exemplary intern,” Lowry said. “She came to the internship with an above-average knowledge of plant material and cultural requirements. She was a great worker, was on time consistently and rarely asked off. I could not have asked for a better intern to help with the workload of preparing the grounds for the Little League World Series – an intern who was knowledgeable, but still inquisitive about various aspects of the field of work.”
To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must be returning to the second year of a two-year program or at least the second year of a four-year program related to the practice of arboriculture and urban forestry at an accredited college or university and enrolled in a major, minor, option or program of arboriculture, horticulture, forestry, urban forestry or related field. A 2.5 GPA minimum must be met, and preference is given to students from, living or studying in Pennsylvania or Delaware.
For information about the landscape/plant production technology degree and other majors offered by Penn College’s School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520 or visit www.pct.edu/et.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.