Colorado Garden Show Invests in Green Future Through Horticulture Scholarships to Colorado Students

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May 23, 2007

DENVER (May 23, 2007) – Colorado Garden Show, Inc. (CGS) announced the awarding of several scholarships from proceeds generated at the annual Colorado Garden and Home Show. From a four year full-ride to Colorado State University (CSU) to additional partial scholarships to CSU, the University of Colorado at Denver and Front Range Community College (FRCC), CGS will help fulfill the dreams of six deserving students.

CGS awarded Joshua Johnson of Eaton, Colo. a full-ride scholarship to CSU to study landscape architecture. In addition to paid tuition, room and board, Johnson will receive a laptop and all expenses paid for books and fees.

"This provides an incredible opportunity for me to go to college without the worry of taking out student loans," said Johnson. "The Colorado Garden Show scholarship will allow me to focus on my education and fulfill my dream of going to college and opening a landscape business."

Tara Costanzo of Fort Collins, Colo. was awarded a $1,250 scholarship from the CGS Endowment Scholarship at CSU. Costanzo is currently a senior in the horticulture program, member of the Planet Student Career Days, CSU Logging Sports Team and was selected to attend the Green Industry Conference as a student ambassador. "As a horticulturist, anything affecting the environment influences my daily goals," said Costanzo. "With this scholarship I am able to continue my studies and hopefully when I graduate I'll work in a state forestry department to protect our national forests."

Jessica Johnson of Greeley, Colo. received a $1,500 scholarship to continue her studies at CSU of a double major in agriculture business and agriculture education. Ms. Johnson will start her sophomore year this fall and believes the future of agriculture lies in education.

Another CSU student, Terri Figgs of Longmont, Colo. received an undergraduate scholarship for her tuition, books and fees for the upcoming year. Figgs is pursuing an undergraduate degree in landscape horticulture with an emphasis in design and contracting. "I grew up gardening, being active in local garden clubs, showing flowers at the county fair and loving nature. My long-term career goal is to work for a design firm and then start my own business," said Figgs.

Danielle Snyder, a graduate student in landscape architecture at the University of Colorado at Denver received a graduate scholarship of tuition, books and fees for the upcoming year to continue her studies. Upon graduation, she plans to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities in landscape architecture and practice in Colorado.

As part of a newly established one year scholarship at FRCC, CGS awarded Felicia Cano of Thornton, Colo. a $3,800 scholarship to cover tuition, books and fees in the horticulture and landscape technologies program. In 2004 when Cano learned she was loosing her hearing, she had to change careers. The single mother of two decided to follow her passion in art and gardening and enrolled at FRCC. Cano's advisor said she has the innate ability to see the interconnectedness between space, color and shape to design landscape areas of living art.

"It is very important for Colorado Garden Show to produce and support the home and garden industry in Colorado," said Jim Fricke, Colorado Garden Show, Inc. executive director. "We enjoy serving other nonprofits, municipalities and individuals through our horticulture scholarship and grant programs and we will award $500,000 in scholarships and grants this year."

Fricke added that they really feel it is important and makes sense to keep Colorado green by educating more people about landscaping and gardening options, especially with the growing population in Colorado and the continual water shortages the state faces.

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About Colorado Garden Show, Inc.
Colorado Garden Show, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that provides funds for horticultural-related grants and scholarships and events for the benefit of the greater Denver area and the state of Colorado. To date, CGS, Inc. has awarded more than $2 million for horticultural projects and scholarships throughout the state. CGS, Inc. presents the annual Colorado Garden & Home Show at the Colorado Convention Center, which is the Rocky Mountain region's largest, oldest and most prestigious consumer garden and home improvement show west of the Mississippi.