Two International Falls students have received scholarships from the 8th District Minnesota State Horticultural Society, Jan Dzwonkowski, chair of the 8th District MSHS Scholarship committee.
Sarah Schoon and Marina Wiley have each received $500 scholarships
Schoon, International Falls High School and Rainy Lake Community College, recently was named the recipient of society’s $500 scholarship, which was funded by the Grand Rapids Garden Club and other 8th District members.
She plans to study to become an occupational therapy assistant at Anoka Technical College. She has helped with her family’s gardening and has worked at Zupke’s Greenhouse in the Falls. She and her sister often brought cut flowers to give away at church. Her parents are Edward and Christine Schoon.
Wiley of International Falls, has completed her junior year at the University of Minnesota at Crookston. She has received a 2020 $500 scholarship, funded by the Itasca County Master Gardeners. She was also awarded a scholarship in 2019.
She is majoring in horticulture with a minor in marketing at UM-Crookston, where she served as a mentor helping community members create assemble Christmas “Porch Pots”. Another volunteering activity involved designing and creating all the floral arrangements for Agorama, an agricultural forum. Wiley helped tend several university greenhouses. This summer her plans were to intern at the college to learn how to manage a greenhouse. Her future career plans are managing a greenhouse or performing plant research in a lab setting and perhaps getting her master’s degree in horticulture. Her parents are Steve and Garner Wiley.
