Minuteman High School Student Natania DuFresne Receives Two Awards For Excellence in Horticulture

PHOTO CAPTION: Student Natania DuFresne of Minuteman High School in Lexington with a certificate she was presented with by the Lexington Field & Garden Club. The Club awarded her a scholarship. Photo courtesy of Sarah Ard.

By Judy Bass

Natania DuFresne, a senior majoring in Horticulture and Landscape Technology at Minuteman High School in Lexington, has been honored with two awards for excellence in her field – an honorable mention from New England GROWS in their annual Future Leaders essay contest and a $500 scholarship from the Lexington Field & Garden Club.

“We don’t always give out honorable mentions,” said Anne M. Franks, Future Leaders Program Coordinator for New England GROWS, a Natick-based organization that promotes education about horticulture and the green industry, “but we felt she did a great job and deserved to be recognized.”

Ms. DuFresne, of Boston, received $50 and a certificate in recognition of her achievement. She was presented with the Lexington Field & Garden Club Scholarship on April 25. Another student in the Horticulture and Landscape Technology program at Minuteman, Maxwell Busa of Lexington, was also given a scholarship from the Club.

Ms. Dufresne has been an active member of the Minuteman Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter for the past four years. She served as chapter secretary and media person her junior year and president and media person this year. She competed at the Massachusetts FFA Convention for the past three years and has participated in the Annual Massachusetts FFA Winter Leadership camp as well as the Chapter Officer Leadership Trainings. Ms. DuFresne served as a Minuteman Student Ambassador for the past three years, welcoming incoming students to Minuteman and helping with recruitment events. She plans to attend Roxbury Community College for nursing in the fall.

Minuteman was established in the 1970s and over the years, the school has built a reputation for excellence. Its students consistently excel on the larger stage and have won numerous awards at state and national competitions. Minuteman challenges all students to revolutionize their high school expectations by aspiring to their full potential, accelerating their learning, and achieving success in the 21st-century global community.