Sarasota Orchid Society awards $1,000 Monroe Kokin academic scholarships

The Sarasota Orchid Society recently awarded two $1,000 Monroe Kokin academic scholarships during their monthly meeting in June at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Winning awards were Maya Lander, who will attend the University of Florida seeking a major in landscape architecture. She hopes to design state and national parks and study sustainability as a minor. Lander has been active in the Girl Scouts of America for 12 years and achieved the rank of Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, equivalent to Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. She has a weighted grade-point average of 4.38.

Charles Foster attends the University of Florida and hopes to attain an advanced degree in entomology and nematology. His high school achievements at Cardinal Mooney include memberships in the National Honor Society, Eagle Scouts, Order of the Arrow (National Honor Society for the BSA). Foster also plays the violin.

The Sarasota Orchid Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education, appreciation and enjoyment of the many varieties of orchids. The group holds regular monthly meetings at the Activities Center on the grounds of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S. Palm Ave. For more information, visit sarasotaorchidsociety.org.

Submitted by Tracie Cady