The American Floral Endowment ( AFE ) has announced the Paul Thomas Floriculture Production Intern of the Year award . design to recognize an great student who has enter in the Vic & Margaret Ball Internship program , this unexampled honour also pays especial tribute to the late Dr. Paul Thomas , retired professor at the University of Georgia , who fleet aside in 2019 .
The Vic & Margaret Ball Internship program was established in 1992 to provide students the opportunity to gain hardheaded experience while preparation at a commercial product greenhouse or nursery . Students intern forth from base / school for a stop of 3 - 6 months and receive a erudition upon windup – up to $ 6,000 .
All student who successfully complete a Vic & Margaret Ball Internship will automatically characterize for this yearly identification , which let in paid travel and hotel to Cultivate , a free adjustment to naturalise ( provided thanks to AmericanHort ) , $ 500 cash , a feature article story in AFE ’s publications , and internet opportunities with AFE Trustees and the Young Professionals Council during Cultivate . The first honor recipient will be named in April 2020 from the qualified students who make out their internship in 2019 .
Paul Thomas served as Professor of Horticulture and Extension Floriculture Specialist at the University of Georgia from 1990 until he go to bed on August 31 , 2019 . He was a huge supporter of scholar internships and AFE ’s Vic & Margaret Ball Internship political platform and helped wise man one C of educatee . After his retreat , he serve well as an Academic Ambassador for the Endowment , jaunt to Universities and college to upgrade the internship computer programme . He held this side only a few short weeks before he passed away .
In a promotional video created with the help of Dr. Thomas about the Ball Internship computer programme , he tell “ I cogitate as faculty members , we owe it to the pupil to give them the opportunities that let them to work and get the experience necessary to be competitive . Is n’t that why we ’re here ” ? His cacoethes and making love for the flowered industry and his student is the intellect the Vic & Margaret Ball Committee named this internship of the twelvemonth in his honor .
“ AFE administers nearly a dozen scholarships , provides grant , and oversees three internship programs . It ’s exciting to recognize an outstanding student who has excel with their internship , and to provide them with an additional learning experience at Cultivate , ” says Randy Tagawa , chairman of the Vic & Margaret Ball Committee . “ These type of learning experience for bookman is what Dr. Thomas was so passionate about and makes this new award even more peculiar . ”
For more informationAmerican Floral EndowmentT : +1 ( 703 ) 838-5211www.endowment.org
