Schools
DelVal Student Surprised With Scholarship After Final Exam
He thought a guest speaker was coming to his class and had "no idea" he was about to be presented with the $5,000 award.
DOYLESTOWN, PA — A student at Delaware Valley University enjoyed a pretty awesome holiday surprise this week.
Craig Hart, horticulture student, was presented with a $5,000 scholarship from The Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association. Representatives from the association visited Hart’s class to surprise him with the scholarship on Thursday, Dec. 13.
Hart thought a guest speaker was coming to his class and had "no idea" he had been selected for the award, according to university officials.
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“I’m ecstatic. I was trying to figure out the other day if I was going to be able to afford to take some additional courses this summer or not. This scholarship is going to help a lot. I want to take summer courses to finish my degree earlier. I also want to add on a certificate in horticultural therapy and this award will help me do that," he said.
Hart is a commuter who travels an hour back and forth each day to take classes at DelVal. He transferred to DelVal after earning his associate degree from the County College of Morris in New Jersey.
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“I want to own my own greenhouse and grow native plants specifically for landscape designers,” said Hart.
According to information from the university, Hart's goal is to earn a certificate in horticultural therapy so he can use horticulture to help children who have autism.
Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association members who visited Hart’s class to present the scholarship included William H. Wells of Water Crest Farms Nursery in West Grove, Pennsylvania, and Ed Copenhaver ’75 of Stony Bridge Landscaping in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
After the scholarship presentation, Wells and Copenhaver took student questions and provided career advice.
“We felt that he gained a lot of experience from working in the field and showed a strong interest in design and plant life,” said Copenhaver. “All of that was very pertinent in our interest in selecting him.”
Hart had applied to the scholarship by submitting an essay about his career goals and work experience, along with a faculty recommendation from Assistant Professor of Plant Science Dr. Adrienne Kleintop.
Contributed image, DelVal
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