Suntory Flowers, Dewar Nurseries Fund New AFE Scholarships
Two new scholarships funds have been established through the American Floral Endowment (AFE) to support future generations of students interested in pursuing a career in floriculture. These scholarships join several other scholarships available through the Endowment.
The Suntory Flowers “Dream Big!” Scholarship was established by Suntory Flowers to inspire innovation and encourage students to explore the many possibilities available to them within the floral industry. Suntory Flowers is establishing this scholarship as a part of its 20th Anniversary celebration. While Suntory celebrates its many achievements in innovation through flower breeding and genetics, its continues to spread the joy of gardening. The company’s dedicated network of unrooted cuttings producers and young plant operations around the globe ensure that every grower and retailer has easy and reliable access to clean starter material for dependable production.
The newly established Suntory Flowers “Dream Big!” Scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student (or students) in their junior or senior year, with a demonstrated focus on a career in floriculture, ornamental horticulture breeding, or production. The scholarship supports those with a passion for exploration in developing new and innovative floral products. The awardee(s) will receive $2,000 in funding towards their education.
Suntory’s guiding philosophy and passion is “Yatte Minahare” ― the spirit of bold ambition to dream big, take challenges and never give up. This means challenging conventional methods and striving to make the impossible possible, like creating the first blue rose or revolutionary new crops, such as Surfinia petunias, Sun Parasol mandevillas, and Million Bells calibrachoas.
“Let’s inspire the next generation to dream big and go for it with the ‘Yatte Minahare’ spirit while contributing to the growth of our industry,” says Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers’ Marketing Director.
The Dewar Family Scholarship Fund
The new Dewar Family Scholarship Fund will also be awarded to an undergraduate student (or students) in their junior or senior year, studying environmental horticulture with an emphasis and focus on a career in floriculture. The fund is established by the Dewar Family of Dewar Nurseries.
Dewar Nurseries was established in 1963 by founder Alex Dewar, with the vision of providing premier plants and exemplary customer service. The Dewar Family appreciates the value of a quality education and is excited to encourage young professionals to enter floriculture production and business with this scholarship.
“It’s safe to say that the Dewar Family is passionate about flowers,” says Patricia Dewar. “This passion and Dewar Nurseries’ roots stem back to my grandfather, Alex Dewar. He jump-started his efforts after earning a degree in horticulture and chemistry from the University of Florida. Before long, our small family business became one of the largest growers of rose, fruit, seasonal, and holiday plants in the nation.”
Over the years, the Dewar family has been devoted to not only providing the absolute best of floriculture, but doing it with a deep-rooted passion for the industry and respect for the business and science that goes into ornamental flowers. That passion continues, with Alex’s son Bill joining the business in the 1980s, and most recently, his granddaughters, Patricia and Kimberly, showing three generations of commitment to the floral industry. This legacy continues with the new scholarship fund.
When looking to establish this fund, the Dewar Family choose to give back to the industry by donating to the Endowment. AFE has been administering important scholarships for decades supporting future generations.
“We wanted to invest with the leading floral industry organization supporting young professional growth and support,” says Patricia Dewar. “AFE’s ongoing and long-term dedication to the industry echoes our family’s legacy.”
There’s quite a lot that goes into creating your most treasured blooms. Making the world a more beautiful place to be is a powerful endeavor, which the Dewar Family exemplifies. Although fast-growing, floriculture is often overlooked and underfunded as a whole. This agricultural enterprise is a wonderful pursuit with industry roots running deep.
“The opportunities in our industry are endless, and creativity is unmatched,” adds Kimberly Dewar. “Our family is rooted in quality, education, and offering the best of the best.”
The annual application deadline for AFE’s undergraduate and graduate scholarships is May 1. To learn more about this scholarship and AFE’s other opportunities, visit endowment.org/scholarships.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
