Garden Club of Cape Coral
Merit Scholarship Award
Garden Club of Cape Coral Merit Scholarship Awards
The application process for the Garden Club of Cape Coral Merit Scholarship Awards is now closed. The application process for 2025 Merit Awards will reopen in January 2025.
Brief History of the Awards:
Awards are provided every year by the Garden Club in honor of Marty Ward and Donna Conway.
Marty Ward was passionate about gardening and was active in many different garden clubs for more than 50 years. She co-founded the Garden Club of Cape Coral, and served as: a Director on the Board of the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council; an active accredited National Garden Club Flower Show Judge; and an active Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Floral Design Instructor. For the Garden Club of Cape Coral, she: held many offices; served on many committees; became the Senior Advisor on horticulture; encouraged member participation in flower shows; and instructed members in floral design. She was also a proponent of these scholarships.
Donna Conway was a long-time member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. As Chair of the Club’s Ways and Means Committee from 2008 – 2010, the annual March in the Park plant sale and festival was her creation; and it is used to raise funds for these scholarships and for several other community gardening activities. Donna worked diligently to make this activity a success, not only organizing the Club to get it going, but working with the City of Cape Coral to find a venue for it and obtain permits. She was strongly supportive of students who are committed to preserving the environment and who have shown that type of commitment during their high-school years. The funding for one of the scholarships is provided by Donna’s family at her request and continues for ten years beginning in 2020.
Purpose of Scholarships: The intent of the Garden Club scholarship program is to find and reward graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated serious interest and involvement in studies and activities dedicated to environmental preservation, horticulture, agriculture, biology/botany, natural resources, conservation or hydrology. Although not a requirement, applicants who have clear future goals in fields such as those just mentioned – either through their college studies and/or for life after college - may be judged more favorably.
Award Details: Awards of up to $2,000 to each winner are presented at the GCCC evening meeting in April. Winners must be present to receive their awards. Each award is contingent on acceptance and enrollment at an accredited institution of higher learning. Awards are based on merit; financial need is not evaluated or considered.
Eligibility: Applicant must
- Be a Cape Coral resident
- Be a high school senior
- Demonstrate active and ongoing interest and participation in horticultural and/or environmental issues. This includes coursework, classroom projects and extracurricular activities – both in and out of school; it also includes work and volunteer experience.
- Have a life goal related to the Purpose of the Scholarships
Timetable:
- The Application process for the Merit Awards is now closed. The application process for 2025 Merit Awards will reopen in January 2025.
Judging of Applications: Members of the GCCC Merit Awards Committee award points in five categories to each application. These points are the basis for the scholarship awards:
- Personal Recommendations – 20%
- Extracurricular/Work Activities and Awards – 25%
- All High School Classes – 25%
- Personal Statement – 30%
Unhide on Jan 2
Garden Club of Cape Coral Merit Scholarship Awards
An application for the 2025 Garden Club of Cape Coral Merit Scholarship Awards is available at the end of the following discussion.
Brief History of the Awards:
Awards are provided every year by the Garden Club in honor of Marty Ward and Donna Conway.
Marty Ward was passionate about gardening and was active in many different garden clubs for more than 50 years. She co-founded the Garden Club of Cape Coral, and served as: a Director on the Board of the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council; an active accredited National Garden Club Flower Show Judge; and an active Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Floral Design Instructor. For the Garden Club of Cape Coral, she: held many offices; served on many committees; became the Senior Advisor on horticulture; encouraged member participation in flower shows; and instructed members in floral design. She was also a proponent of these scholarships.
Donna Conway was a long-time member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. As Chair of the Club’s Ways and Means Committee from 2008 – 2010, the annual March in the Park plant sale and festival was her creation; and it is used to raise funds for these scholarships and for several other community gardening activities. Donna worked diligently to make this activity a success, not only organizing the Club to get it going, but working with the City of Cape Coral to find a venue for it and obtain permits. She was strongly supportive of students who are committed to preserving the environment and who have shown that type of commitment during their high-school years. The funding for one of the scholarships is provided by Donna’s family at her request and continues for ten years beginning in 2020.
Purpose of Scholarships: The intent of the Garden Club scholarship program is to find and reward graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated serious interest and involvement in studies and activities dedicated to environmental preservation, horticulture, agriculture, biology/botany, natural resources, conservation or hydrology. Although not a requirement, applicants who have clear future goals in fields such as those just mentioned – either through their college studies and/or for life after college - may be judged more favorably.
Award Details: Awards of up to $2,000 to each winner are presented at the GCCC evening meeting in April. Winners must be present to receive their awards. Each award is contingent on acceptance and enrollment at an accredited institution of higher learning. Awards are based on merit; financial need is not evaluated or considered.
Eligibility: Applicant must
- Be a Cape Coral resident
- Be a high school senior
- Demonstrate active and ongoing interest and participation in horticultural and/or environmental issues. This includes coursework, classroom projects and extracurricular activities – both in and out of school; it also includes work and volunteer experience.
- Have a life goal related to the Purpose of the Scholarships
Timetable:
- The Application process for the Merit Awards is now closed. The application process for 2025 Merit Awards will reopen in January 2025.
Judging of Applications: Members of the GCCC Merit Awards Committee award points in five categories to each application. These points are the basis for the scholarship awards:
- Personal Recommendations – 20%
- Extracurricular/Work Activities and Awards – 25%
- All High School Classes – 25%
- Personal Statement – 30%
Click here to download a copy of the application.
PREVIOUS YEARS WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the Marty Ward Memorial Merit Awards and the Donna Conway Memorial Award for 2024!
Read the full details in the Merit Award Winners 2024 Press Release.
Congratulations to the winners of the Marty Ward Memorial Merit Awards and the Donna Conway Memorial Award for 2023!
Read the full details in the Merit Award Winners 2023 Press Release.
Congratulations to the winners of the Marty Ward Memorial Merit Awards and the Donna Conway Memorial Award for 2022!
Read the full details in the Merit Award Winners Press Release.
2021 Marty Ward Memorial Merit Awards and the Donna Conway Memorial Award Winners
Read the full details in the Merit Award Winners Press Release.
2020 Marty Ward Memorial Merit Award Winners
Thomas Cramer – Winner of the 2020 Donna Conway Award
