GCA Scholarships Change Lives

April 28, 2020

National Leaders Reflect

GCA scholarships change lives. Former GCA scholars, now prominent in the fields of conservation and horticulture, share the impact of receiving a GCA scholarship early in their careers. Here’s what they said:

Dr. Christian Samper, CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society, was awarded the GCA Award in Tropical Botany in 1989. He shared, “You changed my life because you believed in me.”

   

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Scot Medbury, CEO of Quarryhill Botanical Garden and former CEO of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, was awarded the Clara Carter Higgins Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship in 1993. He believes, “[A GCA scholarship] is the boost that endures.”

 

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Dr. Lucas Joppa, Microsoft’s first chief environmental officer, was awarded the Clara Carter Higgins Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship 2003. He stated, “The Garden Club of America was one of the first organizations to take a chance on me. I can draw a direct line from that scholarship through to service in the Peace Corps, a National Science Foundation Fellowship, my first job as a computational ecologist, and my current role.”

 

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Dr. Ari Novy, CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden, was awarded the Caroline Thorn Kissel Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship in 2007. He shared, “Thank you for believing in me to carry the torch of knowledge, paying it forward from the investment you made.”

 

 

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