Kettering student Sumali Buamee is the first recipient of the Mary Walker Scholarship, jointly offered by South Channel Garden Club and 5 Bob Farm at Birchs Bay.
The award honours long-time garden club stalwart Mary Walker, who recently passed away.
The scholarship is being offered to students in the South Channel region or with links to the area to help pave the way towards a career in fields related to horticulture or plant science.
Sumali, 20, is following in her parents’ footsteps by pursuing an agricultural science degree at the University of Tasmania.
Her mother Michelle imported bulbs from Holland to grow out-of-season tulips in Tasmania and, years later, helped to manage a cherry farm in the Channel which allowed Sumali to observe pruning and the care of trees.
Her father Somporn worked on the family rice farm in Thailand before he moved to Australia.
Sumali says her green thumb had its beginnings in the vegetable garden at Snug Primary School, where she made compost and weeded with her fellow students.
“I’ve been interested ever since,” she said.
“That’s why I chose agricultural science, because it’s such a practical, hands-on degree of enormous benefit.”
Sumali said the $3000 a year for three years that the scholarship offers will be a major help in meeting travel costs and related expenses of university study.
South Channel Garden Club President Kim Walker described Sumali as an outstanding applicant and said the scholarship would support her through to an Honours year.
