The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research affiliate of AmericanHort, awarded Leala Machesney the 2017-2018 Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow Jr. Scholarship.

The Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow Jr. Scholarship was created in 1988 by the Bigelow family to aid students from New England who are seeking a career in horticulture. The scholarship was dedicated initially to one of the family’s children, the late Timothy Bigelow. At Palmer W. “Bill” Bigelow’s death, the name of its creator was added.

Machesney is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Maine pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental horticulture with hopes to eventually attend a graduate program in horticulture.

At her university, Machesney serves as vice president of the student horticulture club and has been active as a volunteer at The Green Gem in Bangor, Maine. She maintains a 3.5 GPA and was acknowledged as an exceptional grower in her greenhouse management class for which she was awarded a scholarship for having the highest quality crop.

Upon completion of her formal education, Machesney hopes to open a nursery with specialization in unusual edible shrubs, trees and vines. Additionally, she has a very strong interest in conservation and has a desire to contribute to the propagation and planting of a species of plum known as Prunus maritima, which is endangered in Maine, according to HRI.

Scholarship applications for the 2018-2019 Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow Jr. Scholarship, and six other HRI scholarship funds, will be accepted online through Sept. 7.