THE GARDEN CLUB OF DOWNERS GROVE
Established 1927
2024 Scholarship Recipiants
Francisco Garcia
2024 Scholarship
College of DuPage
When Francisco first arrived at College of DuPage, he made it his mission to excel and go above and beyond what was expected. He was appointed President of the Horticulture Club and participated in other campus clubs. He was hired at the college as the Horticulture Assistant to the program through a federal work study grant. He also started his own company after creating a business plan during his horticulture business course.
After earning his Bachelor degree, He plans on returning to College of DuPage to teach courses in the Horticulture Program while continuing to operate my horticulture business.
Wes Bollinger
2024 Scholarship
University of Illinois
Wes is a graduate of Tulane University with a double B.S. in Ecology/ Evolutionary Biology and Geology, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The scholoarship will help support his thesis on the benefits of restoring native plant communities
to Midwestern roadways.
Chelsea Peterson
2024 Scholarship
University of Illinois
Chelsea is a PhD candidate studying wetland ecology and restoration in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her dissertation research is focused on the influence of hydrology and management decisions on soil development and carbon storage in restored floodplains.
After graduate school, She envisions a career in wetland management and conservation with a nonprofit organization, such as the Wetlands Initiative based in Illinois.
Judy Johns
2024 Scholarship
College of DuPage
At College of DuPage, Judy is pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Horticulture, accompanied by Certificates in Sustainable Landscapes and Landscape Design and Construction. Over the years, her growing concern about our declining environment and loss of biodiversity transformed into an intense need to do tangible work to restore the ecosystem value of our landscapes.