The Oregon Nurseries Foundation supports incoming or continuing college students who are preparing for careers in horticulture or related fields. Please join us in congratulating the Oregon Nurseries Foundation’s 2025-2026 Scholarship Award Winners.
Students were evaluated based on academic achievement, nursery industry commitment, financial need and Oregon Association of Nurseries affiliation. Scholarships are applied for during the winter term and awarded by the ONF Committee each spring. The next cycle of applications will open in January and applications will be due by April 1, 2026.
Addilyn Knight is a recent graduate of Sam Barlow High School and is the recipient of the Nurseries Foundation Award. Addi has combined her passion for floral arranging and sustainable agriculture into a career path and will be heading to California Polytechnic University to study plant science and horticulture.
Alex Bellegarde will be a freshman at Oregon State University pursuing a degree in horticulture and natural resources. Alex will have already completed the associate program at Clackamas Community College as a graduating senior from high school. They have been awarded the Retail Chapter I Award.
Caitlin Kirkpatrick is currently a junior at Oregon State University double majoring in agricultural sciences and business management. Caitlin is hoping to pursue a career in bareroot nursery production with a focus on plant health. She is the recipient of the Art Spada Memorial Scholarship.
Charles Colvin has been awarded the Mt. Hood Chapter II Award and will be a senior at Penn State University. He plans to obtain his Ph.D. in plant genetics and already has an impressive resume working in plant research.
Cheryl Johnson is the recipient of the Clackamas Chapter Award and currently works for OAN member Al’s Garden & Home. She will continue her studies at Clackamas Community College to complete her associate degree in horticulture and then take advantage of the transfer program with Oregon State University.
Elliana Munk will be a sophomore at Utah State University where she is pursuing a degree in agribusiness and agricultural education. Growing up in a small agricultural community in Eastern Oregon, Elli has developed a deep appreciation for Oregon’s nursery industry and other ag sectors. She has been awarded the Sid & Cindy Miles Nursery Award for the upcoming academic year.
Ellis Kropf has been awarded the Mt. Hood I Award and will be a junior at Oregon State University. OAN member Kropf Family Nursery has been an integral part of his experience, from propagation to truck loading and Ellis hopes to expand the family business after graduating.
Emily Barnett will be returning to Carroll College and resuming her studies in accounting and strategic finance. Emily plans to apply her learned skills in accounting and finance to her family’s nursery, OAN member Margie’s Farm & Garden. She has been awarded the Woodburn Nursery I Award.
Frances Fancher will be a junior at Oregon State University and has been awarded the Bill Egan Memorial Award. Currently employed at OAN member Patterson Nursery Sales, her aspirations are to become an agriculture educator that will give back to the horticulture industry.
Ho Jung Yoon has been awarded the Nurseries Memorial Award to apply towards her graduate studies at Oregon State University. As an international student from Korea, Ho Jung is committed to strengthening ties with industry partners in Oregon and beyond with her research in nursery crop protection and sustainable pest control.
Kameron Christensen is the recipient of the Woodburn Nursery II Award. A sophomore at Clackamas Community College, Kameron next plans to become ISA certified as an arborist. He is avidly involved in the horticulture program at CCC, including the National Collegiate Landscape Competition, the student worker program, as well as the Home Orchard Education Center.
Mackenzie Bigej will be a freshman at Duke University after having grown up in the industry with the family business and OAN member, Al’s Garden & Home. Mackenzie attributes her learned leadership skills and dedication to her experiences on the farm and will continue to contribute during summers as well. She has been awarded the Joseph H Klupenger Award.
Madison Bigej has been awarded the Larry Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship to apply toward her degree while at California Polytechnic University. Madison comes from a long line of nursery industry professionals and OAN members through the family business, Al’s Garden & Home, where she will continue to take part in special planting projects and future opportunities.
Madison Crump will be a junior at Oregon State University and majoring in botany after completing her associates at Umpqua Community College. She has been awarded the Royal Boltman Memorial Award and is highly interested in working in plant conservation and sustainable agriculture, with aspirations of becoming a professor in the field.
Makayla Rose has been awarded the Jack Bigej Memorial Scholarship. She will be returning to Corban University to study agribusiness. She plans to apply learned practices, marketing skills, and business strategies to carry the family business, OAN member Silver Falls Seed Company, into the future for further generations.
Marcella Cross is a graduate student at The University of British Columbia where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in botany. Marcella is focused on methodologies for measuring carbon assimilation in plants and how plant water stress affects these methods of measurement. She has been awarded the Emerald Empire Chapter Award.
Rebecca Price has been awarded the Retail Chapter II Award and is currently pursuing her degree in horticulture at Clackamas Community College. Rebecca is passionate about ecological sustainability and currently does landscape maintenance and design under her own business.
Sadie Duffy will be a senior at Oregon State University where she is earning a degree in horticulture. She currently works for OAN member, Garland Nursery, while being a full-time student. Sadie intends to pursue her own landscape design and maintenance business after graduation. She has been awarded the Retail Chapter III Award.
Salvador Barragan has been awarded the Nursery Employee Award and is currently pursuing his associate degree at Clackamas Community College. Sal is a full-time employee at OAN member Smith Gardens, where he initially started out as an intern but was quickly promoted. He is determined to excel in the nursery industry and attributed his achievements to education.
Shay Willhite will be a junior at Oregon State University where she is earning a degree in Horticulture. Shay has been awarded the Willamette Chapter Award. She is currently employed at Eshraghi Nursery, an OAN member, as operations and sales support. She hopes to continue there while learning both in her online classes as well as hands on experience.
Tillie Wendt is the recipient of the Ed Wood/Clackamas Chapter Award. Tillie is currently working towards a horticulture degree at Oregon State University and is excited about her upcoming internship at Monrovia, an OAN member. She has actively been involved in her family’s blueberry farm in California where she has gained valuable skills and insights into the agricultural industry.
Congratulations to students!
The Oregon Association of Nurseries and the Oregon Nurseries Foundation congratulate each of these students on their impressive accomplishments thus far and wish them the best of luck as they continue towards building the future of a strong nursery industry.
