Aiken Master Gardeners Announce their 2025 Scholarship Winners
The Aiken Master Gardener Association is pleased to announce the winner of the 2025 high school scholarship. During the AMGA meeting held on May 13th, the award for $2000 was presented to Grace Glennie. Family members attended the meeting.
Grace is a senior at Aiken High School. She intends to use her scholarship to study Environmental studies at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. At Aiken High School she was a leader for Aiken Future Farmers of America where she organized plant sales, competitions, and helped take care of the greenhouses. She also volunteered at the Aiken County animal shelter by fostering puppies, helping on intake, and fundraising. Grace started a small business called Carrots and Cupcakes using a feral miniature pony named Rudy which she rescued and rehabbed. She took the pony to parties and fundraisers where people were able to pet him and take pictures thereby raising awareness for the fate of kill pen animals.
The Aiken Master Gardener high school scholarship program is an annual program whereby the association recognizes and supports high school students who reside or study in Aiken or Edgefield Counties and intend to study programs in agriculture at a university or College of their choice. The scholarships are supported by the association’s members through their programs such as “Rent-a- Master Gardener”, sales of their “Aiken Master Gardener Almanac,” and the annual plant sale.
In addition to our high school scholarship program, which we fund directly on an annual basis, the Aiken Master Gardener Association has also established an endowment scholarship at Clemson University for Aiken County students enrolled in the University’s agricultural curricula. The winners of the 2025 endowment scholarship were Gregory Fincher for studies in Forest Management and Adelaide Thomas for studies in Environmental and Natural Resources Managements. Each scholarship was $1000.
History of the Aiken Master Gardener High School Scholarships
2013
Trent Miller, Edgefield, Agricultural Mechanization & Business
Anna Mink, Aiken, Agricultural Education
2014
Brodie Cox, Aiken, Agricultural Biotechnology
Jamie Hartley, Ridge Springs, Heavy Equipment and Diesel Technology
Morgan Spaulding, Edgefield, Soil & Water Conservation
2015
Kelly Coons, Aiken, Agricultural Education
Leigh Northrop, Edgefield, Agricultural Communications
2016
Baily Pederson, Edgefield, Horticulture
Geddings Jhant, North Augusta, Ag. mechanization & Business
Hunter Herrin, Ridge Springs, Diversified Agriculture
Johnathan Hall, Ag. mechanization & Business
2017
Brandon Pugh, Edgefield, Environmental Resources Management
Brianna Kirkland, Wagener, Pre-Business
Katelynn Florence, Edgefield, Horticulture
Tyler Thompson, Johnson, Agriculture
2018
Carson Rodgers, Graniteville, Agricultural Communications
Gracie Herrin, Ridge Springs, Agribusiness
Jacob Stawney, North Augusta, Pre-Business
2019
Justin Snipes, Aiken, General Engineering
Bryson Thompson, Edgefield, Wildlife Fisheries & Biology
2023
Andrew Pond, North Augusta, Agribusiness
Lauren Lusk, North Augusta, Wildlife Fisheries & Biology
Trista Brown, North Augusta, Agriculture
Zeb Proctor, Graniteville, Agriculture Management
2024
Morgan Coverson-Springs, Trenton, Horticulture
Whitt Miller, Edgefield, Landscape Architecture
2025
Grace Glennie, Aiken, Environmental Science
2025 Scholarship Awards
Scholarship Application Procedures
The mission of the Aiken Master Gardener Association (AMGA) is to promote good horticultural practices and to provide opportunities for educating the community in good gardening and horticultural practices. The AMGA encourages high school students who attend high school in Aiken or Edgefield Counties and who have been admitted to a college and will major in either an agriculture or horticulture career to apply for an AMGA scholarship. The scholarships will be a minimum of $1000 for the student’s freshman year only. The scholarships will be presented at the May 13th AMGA general meeting.
Applications for an AMGA scholarship may be obtained from high school agriculture or horticulture teachers or from high school guidance counselors in Aiken and Edgefield Counties. The Aiken County Master Gardener website [ High School Scholarships – Aiken Master Gardener Association ] will also post an application form and procedures for applying for this scholarship.
To apply for a scholarship, the following requirements must be met:
- A completed application must be postmarked by March 31, 2025.
- At least one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor must be included with your
- A copy of the letter of acceptance from the school you will attend must be included.
- Your high school must send a copy of your current transcript.
- Evidence that the applicant plans to pursue a career in agriculture or horticulture fields.
The application packet should be mailed to:
Dr. Jim Pierce
145 Glen Haven Circle
Aiken, SC 29803