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Application Deadline is November 30, 2011
The Connecticut Tree Protective Association is happy to again be offering the opportunity to apply for the CTPA Arborist Scholarship to students at the college level who are engaged in studying arboriculture or urban forestry. Since its initiation in 2001, this Scholarship has been awarded eighteen times, to students of demonstrated potential and commitment to trees and tree care. In each case, these young men and women have continued on with their education and moved on towards their career goals.
CTPA is very pleased for having had a role to play in helping these worthy young people along this path. We also look forward to receiving the next set of applications for the 2012 Arborist Scholarship.
Information on
Previous Winners:
| 2011 | |
| 2010 | 2009 |
| 2008 | 2007 |
| 2006 | 2005 |
| 2004 | 2003 |
| 2002 | 2001 |
The Winners of the 2011 CTPA
Arborist Scholarships
Joseph Mullen
Joe is receiving the CTPA
Arborist Scholarship for the second time - testimony to his continued dedication
to studying about trees and arboriculture.
He has proven himself to be an excellent student, with a high grade point
average and very good recommendations from his professors.
Dr. Kane, one of Joe’s professors at UMass Amherst, cites his work with a
tree care company in Connecticut over the past summer as a major contributor to
Joe's progress. He predicts that, in
the future, Joe "will be a valuable member of the arboriculture community".
The people who know Joe
describe him as a hardworking individual, a self-starter, with a tremendous work
ethic and well-established set of principles.
Confident and competent, he is seen as a natural leader with a strong
ability to motivate and energize others.
Joe also looks forward to
bringing his skills, knowledge and talents back to Connecticut and becoming part
of the tree care community.
Nicholas Kopyscinski
Nicholas is a 3 time
recipient of the CTPA Arborist Scholarship.
Nicholas is a senior at Unity College in Maine, where he is finishing up
a double major in Landscape Horticulture and Forestry.
Described by his major advisor as "one of my most conscientious
students", Nick is also known for being polite, intelligent and well-spoken.
From his own writings, it
is clear that Nick's course work is taking him in new directions.
He writes of the work he has done planting trees, diagnosing tree
problems, dealing with vines and other obtrusive plant growth, and analyzing
soil conditions as they affect trees.
He also talks of his plans to work either in the landscape horticulture
industry or for a tree care company.
His summertime employer, a retail nursery in Connecticut, backs up Nick's
confidence in this future, terming him "a quick learner dedicated to a career in
the horticulture field."
Niko Sotil
Niko is a first-time
recipient of the CTPA Arborist Scholarship and a second year student at UMass
Amherst, where he is majoring in arboriculture.
He comes from a tree care family and has dreams of someday joining his
father's business and expanding it, bringing to it all of the training that he
is now receiving as part of his studies.
Niko's academic work is
solid and he has received the strong support of Dr. Dennis Ryan.
Niko cites his work as an intern over the summer as critical to his
development as an arborist. During
this past summer, with a year of school behind him, working for a tree care
company, he found himself able to climb with consistent confidence.
He also gained valuable experience working around a crane and around a
bucket truck.
Niko puts a lot of stock
in the importance of hard-work, doing things right and attention to detail.
From all accounts, his future in arboriculture appears to be very bright.
Alex J. Graver
As Alex explains it, he
has been interested in trees for his whole life.
That is not hard, as his Dad, Bruce Graver, runs a tree care company, and
Alex has been around trees and tree work for about as long as he can remember.
As the son of an arborist, Alex often helped with tree work, but did not
really focus on a future in tree care until very recently.
Instead, he was an award winning football player in high school,
including being All-Conference two years in a row.
His college plans originally focused on furthering his opportunities to
play football.
That is, until a tornado
hit his hometown of
Those who recommended Alex
for this scholarship are unanimous in citing his work ethic, his dedication, his
leadership and his integrity. They
point out that, not only did he earn football honors through his hard work and
determination, but that he also received academic recognition for his efforts.
In his own comments, Alex
talks about the plans he has for his future in arboriculture.
It is clear that he intends to bring the same focus, intensity and desire
he has shown elsewhere to his pursuit of arboriculture.
Joseph Mullen
Joe�s involvement in
arboriculture comes out of his younger years working and living on his
grandfather�s farm in
It was a guidance
counselor in high school who encouraged Joe to attend the
Joe is also described as a
very hardworking individual, with a tremendous work ethic and well-established
set of principles. Confident and
competent, he is described as a natural leader with a strong ability to motivate
and energize others.
Joe also looks forward to
bringing his skills, knowledge and talents back to
Daniel Watkins
When Dan first applied
for a CTPA Arborist Scholarship, he was a freshman at the
Dan continues to
distinguish himself at UMass, where he has kept his grade point average high and
where he continues to earn the respect and commendations of his professors.
Dan is very thankful for all of the assistance that the CTPA has already
provided to him. Following college,
Dan plans to return to
Nicholas
Kopyscinski
Nick, who received an
Arborist Scholarship from CTPA last year, is now a sophomore at
Meanwhile, Nick
continues to work at
Marlyse is a Masters
Student in Forestry at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
She has returned to school as a non-traditional student, after graduating
with a degree in horticulture and working for nine years at Oliver Nurseries in
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Ryan, who is from Avon, CT, is currently a student at the Stockbridge School at the University of Massachusetts, studying arboriculture. He comes to working outdoors and with trees naturally, as his father owned Roberts Landscaping in Newington. Ryan recalls working with his dad in this business as far back as he can remember.
Sadly, Ryans father recently passed away. However, Ryan has continued to apply himself, further developing his skills and professionalism through his work at Stockbridge and also at Winding Trails Recreation Park in Farmington, where he has taken on responsibilities for maintaining and removing trees in that extensive and heavily used park.
Ryan has received strong support from his professors at the Stockbridge School and from his supervisor at Winding Trails. His grades are good, and the recommendations he has received are reflective of his character and qualifications. Ryan looks forward to becoming licensed in Connecticut and preparing himself for the day he can follow in his fathers footsteps and own his own tree care business.
Dan is a freshman at the Stockbridge School at the University of Massachusetts, majoring in arboriculture and urban forestry. He is from Hartland, where he has been exposed to tree care from an early age, as his father owns and runs The ArborWorks in that town. Eventually, Dan worked full-time for his dad during summers growing up.
Dan has been distinguishing himself at Stockbridge, where he is a solid B student. His School Counselor at Granby High School describes Dan as a diligent and focused young man who is more attentive to his future career than any other senior with whom she has worked. At Stockbridge, this shows, not just in his strong academic work but also in his holding 3 part-time jobs to allow him to continue his work at school.
Following college, Dan plans to return to Connecticut to practice arboriculture as a career. In his statement, he writes, Being raised in an arborists family has given me a passion for trees that will last for the rest of my life. He hopes some day to make the type of valuable contribution to tree care that he learned about growing up and that he is coming to better understand at Stockbridge.
Doug, from
Dougs experience working with trees goes back a long time.
As a ten year old, he assisted his great-uncle on his Christmas tree
farm. One of his early lessons in
tree care came when he and his uncle had to cut down and burn all of the Frazier
fir in the Christmas tree farm, due to a disease outbreak.
Trees also played a role in his Eagle Scout honors, as part of his
service towards that award involved removing bittersweet from cedar trees in a
town park.
While Doug feels a strong pull towards the turf side of the green
industry his first job was on the greens staff at Brooklawn Country Club in
Dougs professors and former employers have all recommended him highly. CTPA is proud to present Doug Zitnay with its 2005 Arborist Scholarship.
Andrew, who is a first-year student at the
Jeff, who is repeating as a CTPA Arborist Scholarship
winner, is from Sharon, CT. Jeff is
now a senior at the University of Massachusetts, who expects to graduate this
spring with a Bachelor of Science degree and a major in Urban Forestry.
Jeffs rsum in tree care includes working
for the Monroe Tree Company in Sharon, CT, and the Haupt Tree Care Company in
Sheffield, MA. He credits Scott
Monroe with helping him learn to become a climber, and Jeff expresses
appreciation to both companies for assisting him as he has honed his skills as a
developing tree care professional.
Jeff continues to do interesting things as he
prepares himself for his career within the tree care field.
He has already received his Connecticut Arborist License and has been
certified in Massachusetts. This
past summer, he worked as a tree worker in Anchorage, Alaska, exploring what his
professional skills allow him to do, in terms of travel and opportunities for
experience. Currently, he subcontracts tree work in and around his
hometown of Sharon, learning yet more about the various personalities and
people-skills that are a part of the profession.
Jeffs ultimate goals remain the same,
however to return home to Litchfield County, to continue learning and
working everyday, and, someday, to own his own private tree care company.
CTPA is very pleased to be able to assist Jeff as he strives towards his
goals.
Zach, from Lakeville, CT, is also a student at the
University of Massachusetts. He is
majoring in Arboriculture. Zachs
background, references and scholarship application all tell the same story
that of an independent, goal-oriented young man who is focused on arboriculture
and, especially, on the field aspects of tree work, and is working hard to move
himself forward in this field.
Zachs drive to succeed in the green industry
goes back to the seventh grade, when he started a lawn service with a friend.
His work with the Monroe Tree Company in Sharon was the key to
solidifying his interest in
arboriculture, which in turn led him to attend the Stockbridge School at UMass.
Zachs drive has paid off in other ways, as well.
He has represented UMass twice at the Student Society of Arboriculture
championships, culminating in his winning the working climb competition in
November of 2002.
It is not only trees and tree care that
motivates Zach, however. He is also
a volunteer fireman in his hometown of Lakeville, a hockey referee and an
assistant coach for the local peewee team.
As for what he wants to bring to his profession, Zach cites a
contribution to safety as first among his goals, followed closely by a concern
for saving trees. His work with
children and with other professionals also leads Zach to cite the desire to pass
on knowledge as one of his goals.
CTPA is also very pleased to be able to assist Zach as he develops as a professional.
During its recent Annual Meeting, the Connecticut Tree Protective Association announced Ms. Kristeena DiPasquale as the first winner of the soon-to-be-annual CTPA Arborist Scholarship. The winner of this first scholarship is a resident of Berlin, CT and a third-year student at the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School.
Kristeena DiPasquale is congratulated by CTPA President Mark Sullivan at the Association's recent Annual Meeting.
Kristeena
was already familiar to many members of the tree care community in Connecticut.
Over the past summers she has worked out of the Guilford office of
Bartlett Tree Experts and the Norwalk office of Alpine, The Care of Trees.
Among her many accomplishments, she placed 2nd overall in the
2000 TCI Student Competition (1st in the Workers Climb and 1st
in Safety Equipment), and she has distinguished herself academically while
a student at UMass. Her volunteer
activities are numerous, and include being a volunteer firefighter, tutor and
Special Olympics assistant.
As
the winner of the scholarship, Kristeena received a check for $1,000 from the
Oscar P. Stone Research Trust Fund. The
members of CTPA wish Kristeena great success, as she will certainly have
much to add to our profession. CTPA is glad to be able to provide this
support for her studies.
(the following section describes the CTPA Scholarship, and includes a link to last year's application form)
