BREWSTER- CCEPC is proud to announce the 2023 Master Gardener Volunteers Scholarship recipients: Putnam Valley High School’s Tara Dolack and Sean Van Riper.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County Master Gardener Volunteers annually award two scholarships of $500 to eligible Putnam County residents who are graduating seniors from any high school or home-school program. Awardees must plan to pursue advanced education in a recognized institution of higher learning for the study of Plant Science, Horticulture, Floriculture, Architectural Landscape Design, Forestry, Botany, or another environment-related program.
The CCEPC Scholarship Review Committee bases awards on scholastic achievement, student volunteerism, community service, along with letters of recommendations. Additionally, students submit a short essay describing their desired field of study and their educational goals. Lastly the applicants undergo an interview with the Committee.
Ms. Dolack will be attending Siena College to pursue a degree in Environmental Science: Earth Systems track. This major includes course work in environmental science, earth systems science, environmental economics, environmental ethics, field techniques and research methods, ecology, biology, physics, calculus and internships. During high school, Tara set up a research project involving the use of a high altitude balloon in order to investigate the effect of ‘near space’ conditions on soil and seeds; the results of which were presented in local science fairs. She hopes that following college she will be able to pursue research in the area of astrobotany.
Mr. Van Riper is headed to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) to pursue a degree in Conservation Biology. This major includes course work in environmental and forest biology, ecology, biology general and conservation, calculus, genetics and evolution, chemistry, field work and internships. Over the past few years, Sean has been instrumental in setting up and maintaining a local community garden, in addition to a variety of other community service activities. He hopes that with the field work and internship opportunities available to him at ESF, he will be able to impact the world around him.
Past scholarship recipients have attended programs in Environmental Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Environmental Science and Sustainability as well as Viticulture and Enology at Cornell University and SUNY Plattsburg, Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy at R.I.T., Wildlife and Conservation Law at Unity College and Stanford University’s Earth Systems Program.
