Contact: Vanessa Beeson
STARKVILLE, Miss.āAs summer nears full bloom across Ļć½¶Ö±²„'s campus, a new opportunity has emerged for students passionate about flowering plants.
The Ļć½¶Ö±²„Horticulture Club recently announced the establishment of an endowed fund supporting undergraduate horticulture activities and scholarships, a testament to the clubās commitment to nurturing academic excellence and fostering the next generation of horticulturalists.
The Ļć½¶Ö±²„Horticulture Club Excellence Endowment represents a significant milestone in the club's journey, made possible through the hard work of past and present club members. With an initial pledge of $25,000, the endowment is poised to provide vital financial support to undergraduate students pursuing horticulture studies in the Ļć½¶Ö±²„College of Agriculture and Life Sciencesā Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
Dating back to its inception as the Mississippi A&M Horticultural Society in 1921, the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Horticulture Club is a beacon for students eager to explore the world of plants and cultivation. Over the decades, it evolved into a dynamic community where students come together to share their love for horticulture, engage in hands-on learning experiences and make a lasting impact on their surroundings.
Spring 2024 graduates Wesley Rainey of Hattiesburg, a horticulture and food science, nutrition and health promotion double major, and Madelyn Gresham of Naperville, Illinois, a horticulture major and 2023-24 club president, worked with faculty advisor Richard Harkess and the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Foundation to establish the endowment.Ā Both Rainey and Gresham previously served the club as greenhouse managers.
āParticipating in the setup of this endowment was a big deal for me. I credit a lot of my academic accomplishments to Ļć½¶Ö±²„Horticulture Club. The experience I gained in my time as greenhouse manager and president has opened a lot of doors for me, and I wanted to ensure that students get the same opportunities for years to come,ā Gresham said. āIām excited that this yearās members will leave such a lasting impression on the club and university. I hope this endowment will allow future students to take advantage of all the Ļć½¶Ö±²„horticulture program has to offer.ā
For more information on the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Horticulture Club and the Department of Plant and Soil Sciencesā horticulture major, visit and . If you are interested in supporting the endowment, contact Harkess at richard.harkess@msstate.edu or 662-325-4456, or Will Staggers at wstaggers@foundation.msstate.edu or 662-769-8822.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .