Recipient of a Blue Diamond Scholarship in 2022, career changer, Jessica Mears, who had been delivering letters for the Royal Mail in Bristol for two years after completing her Masters degree in mathematics, says life is about Lavender and the 400 or so varieties of other herbs she is involved in growing now, rather than letters!
Always interested in gardening, she became intrigued by all the plants she saw in front gardens while delivering letters, and how they changed with the seasons, Jessica was inspired by horticulture as a career and signed up to do a Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Horticulture with Sparsholt College in Hampshire.
Now qualified and with college behind her, Jessica is working with Jekka’s, a herb growing specialist in south Gloucestershire, where she is able to put into practice so much of the horticultural knowledge she has learnt and hone her skills in propagation techniques.
The 31st January sees the closing of the application season for the varied range of Colegrave Seabrook Foundation scholarships for 2023. Bursaries from £500 up to £5,000 are available to students studying horticulture, on a full or part time basis, through one of the colleges in the UK.
Jessica Mears, the recipient of a Blue Diamond Garden Centres scholarship in 2022 told us:
“Gaining my scholarship made such a difference to my final year of studies. Taking away some of the financial pressures enabled me to concentrate on study and enjoy college so much more. The application process was easy, the fact that it was not means tested also made it so much more accessible. Being able to do some extra studies and qualifications has helped me so much with my work now. I am really grateful to the Foundation for their support and would recommend students to make their own application.”
You will find full details and application advice for the range of Scholarships including those supported by Blue Diamond, Smart Garden Products and Majestic Trees on the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation website, but do not delay as the deadline is looming and on line applications close on the 31st January 2023. www.colegraveseabrookfoundation.org.uk
College lecturers play an important part in the application process, bringing the opportunities to the attention of students that the Foundation’s scholarships bring and supporting their applications. Students who demonstrate the right attitude, ability and ambition to make their career in one of the many branches of horticulture should apply for some financial support to help with costs of living, purchase of course materials, fees, travel costs or something as specific as the purchase of a new laptop or other tools to assist their studies.
Pictured: Jessica at the nursery in Gloucestershire, now putting into practice some of what she learnt at Sparsholt College, supported by a Scholarship from the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation in 2022.
