West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association opens scholarships for hort students

The West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association Marcus W. Rennix Memorial Scholarship program is accepting applications for Mountain State students studying horticulture, landscape architecture and nursery and greenhouse management. The deadline for applications to be submitted is September 30.

Julie Robinson, WVNLA executive director, says students must be in-state residents who have completed half the required courses in ornamental horticulture or landscape architecture and maintained at least a 2.5 grade point average. She said applicants are typically college juniors or seniors, and each scholarship awarded is $5,000.

“Supporting and mentoring West Virginians — regardless of where they study – to excel in our green industry profession is a priority for the nursery and landscape industry," says Robert “Bobby” Gompers, President of the WVNLA board and owner of Highland Landscaping in Buckhannon. "Our board and membership are focused on recruiting, retaining and promoting the best talent, and this scholarship is a tangible commitment to meeting that goal.”

Gompers says a few WVNLA board members earned the scholarship when they were students, and now they are leaders in the industry. He cited Jason Testman of Valley Gardens in Charleston, and Michael Biafore and Patrick Biafore of Biafore Landscape Development in Morgantown.

“We want to give juniors and seniors in our profession a financial boost and lend a hand with mentoring so they can join our ranks in the growing green industry,” Testman says. 

Robinson encourages eligible students who meet the criteria to apply for the educational funds. Information can be found at WVNLA’s website. She said scholarship winners will be recognized at the association’s Winter Symposium being held in Charleston on February 18, 2026.