Unilock® wants to help the next generation of landscaping leaders follow their dreams with its second annual Paving the Future Scholarship. The company will offer more than $60,000 to final-year landscape students.
“We introduced the Paving the Future Scholarship in 2022 for our 50th anniversary,” said Diane Williams, VP of Marketing. “We received an overwhelming response from students at, among others, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Algonquin College. Because of this amazing interest, we are excited to continue our scholarship program in 2023 and beyond.”
Anaya Marshall was one such student who received an inaugural Paving the Future Scholarship in 2022. The scholarship put her closer to her goal of becoming the change she wants to see in the hardscape industry.
“The award meant a lot, especially as a woman of color, who are underrepresented in the field,” said Marshall. Her scholarship helped her pursue a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at Ball State University in Indiana. “With the support of Unilock, I was able to finish off the academic year strong and start to establish myself in my career!”
Another 2022 Paving the Future Scholarship recipient was Michael Bednarczyk, a Landscape Management graduate from Michigan State University. “I appreciate Unilock for everything they’ve done to better my future,” Bednarczyk said. “This industry is tough, and I want to pursue it at the highest level possible and learn as much as I can.”
This year, Unilock will award $5,000 each to a minimum of 12 students across the U.S. and Canada. The money will support the students’ tuition, but Unilock will also act as a partner as they start their careers.
The deadline for applications is August 31, 2023. Unilock will annnounce the recipients on or about October 10. To be eligible, applicants must be a permanent resident of the U.S. or Ontario, Canada and be enrolled in their final year of a full-time, post-secondary undergraduate or graduate program within landscape management, landscape construction, horticulture landscaping, turf grass management, or related field at a vocational school, community college, University, or in an Apprenticeship program.
Winners must maintain a minimum cumulative average grade of B and show a desire to pursue a career in landscaping. Unilock is also looking for students who demonstrate leadership and an ongoing commitment to their communities.
To enter, students within the landscape construction or landscape architecture fields of study must submit an application. Applicants may access the application online for landscape construction or landscape architecture.
