MIDDLETOWN — The Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club awarded two $500 scholarships to students Connor Smith and Lindee Jones, both of Middletown.
Smith graduated from Middletown High School (MHS) in May and was selected as valedictorian of his class. He has been accepted to attend University of California, San Diego in the fall, majoring in natural resource management. His dream “is to innovate ways to help society achieve sustainability through renewable energy and efficiency,” he said.
While attending MHS, Smith chose to set up a composting system at the school to train and inform other students on ways to be environmentally conscious for his senior project. He was also involved in other student activities, including sports, the Junior Statesmen of America, the Botball Engineering Club and Interact Service Club and acted in a leadership role in each program.
Jones graduated from MHS in 2012 and has been attending Shasta College for the past two years. She has been accepted to California State University, Chico beginning in the fall. Jones plans to major in plant science with an emphasis in crop management.
While attending Shasta College, Jones was a member of its farm program and was assigned as the student farm dorm manager where she helped manage the farm while taking care of the greenhouses and irrigation units. She also traveled with three other students to Auburn University in Alabama to compete in the Student Career Day, a collegiate horticulture contest that is attended by students from around the U.S. and Canada.
The Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club, as part of its community projects chose to offer the scholarships to graduating students. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist students who are attending either a community college or a four-year college, majoring in subjects such as horticulture, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and agriculture production, according to Joy Birum of the club.
Multiple factors are taken into consideration when evaluating the students who apply for the scholarship, according to Birum. Half of the possible points assigned to the evaluation relate to participation and leadership in programs, activities and awards, with a heavy emphasis on community service related to the major field of study in science or the environment. Both Smith and Jones were rated high in these areas, as they both had received honors in related programs and actively participated in community activities.
