PGMS awards five scholarships

FOREST HILL, Md. – The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) has announced five green industry students as the 2017 collegiate scholarship recipients.

Peyton South of Kansas State University was sponsored by Dr. Cathie Lavis and received $4,000. His major at Kansas State is golf course management and his life goal is to become a golf course superintendent.

Steven Shavel of The Ohio State University was sponsored by Doug Knaup and he received $2,500. Majoring in biology/sustainable plant systems, his life goal is to become a superintendent of a golf course.

Jesse Mitchell of Mississippi State University was sponsored by Brandon Haley, CGM and he received $1,500. As a landscape contracting and management major, he stated his life goal is to "change the living world and how people interact with it and each other, for the better."

The fourth recipient was Lauren Walz of Kansas State University. She was sponsored by Dr. Cathie Lavis and received $1,000. As a landscape horticulture major, her life goal is to be a business owner.

The last recipient was Steve LaMont of Walla Walla Community College. He was sponsored by Joe Kovolyan, CGM, CSFM and was awarded $1,000. His major is landscape contracting and management and his life goal is to find a management position in the turf care industry.

PGMS wishes the recipients well in the future, and hopes the scholarship opens doors to additional opportunities in their pursuit of being a green industry professional.

Each year the PGMS Scholarship Committee awards scholarships to students in horticulture or related fields. The awards committee looks for students who have solid grades and past or current employment in the green industry, involvement in the industry with apprentice or professional organizations as well as civic projects and outreach programs. The committee also looks for any personal development classes and involvement in sports or clubs. Students must be sponsored by a PGMS member.

"The scholarship program is a wonderful way to recognize interns that work for you or college students you meet in the industry," said Scholarship Committee Chairman Kent Bagnell.