Back in 2005, one of our franchise owners, Dan Collins, passed away from cancer. Dan had a larger-than-life personality, and he was always eager to help others with their lawn care needs using NaturaLawn’s safer approach. This three-tiered scholarship was created in his memory.
Thank you to all who applied. We had close to 185 applicants this year, marking it as our most competitive year yet! We encourage you to apply again next year.
We continue to be in awe of the caliber of students working on their higher education.
At this time we’d like to announce the award recipients.
The $2,000 Dan Collins scholarship is awarded to Andrej Ciric of Virginia Beach! Andrej attends Virginia Tech, where he is studying Biological Sciences. As an Eagle Scout, he has taken part in several leadership programs and combined his passion for service and biology through photography projects, outdoor clubs, and even the writing of a children’s book about the world’s weirdest animals. He looks forward to applying his research in real-world settings after college.
The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to Jack Henderson of Oso Rio, California! Jack is a student at Butte College pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education. Through his involvement in Future Farmers of America, he developed skills in public speaking, leadership, agriscience, and marketing. He hopes to use his degree to teach future students interested in turf and agriculture, and he is eager to share his knowledge about fertilizers and soils.
And finally, the first-place, $5,000 scholarship is awarded to Kaarina Dunn of Onalaska, Wisconsin. Kaarina currently attends the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science & AgroEcology. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership through her speech writing, environmental advocacy work with legislators, involvement in 4-H, and many talents, including being an award-winning violinist. There is no doubt she has a bright future ahead.
CONGRATULATIONS to this year’s winners of the Dan Collins scholarship. We are excited to see such well-rounded individuals pursuing higher education and working to make a positive impact on our communities.
