Scholarship Project

Since its inception 34 years ago, the Guild has awarded a scholarship annually to a senior graduating from Braintree High School who will continue his or her education in a field related to guild interests, e.g. environmental studies, global warming, landscaping, botany, marine biology, among others.

Sarah Hastings is the 2011 recipient of the $1,000 scholarship awarded annually to a BHS graduate by The Gardeners' Guild of Braintree. The scholarship was presented at the awards night on June 1st by outgoing president, Maggi Johnson. The BHS Scholarship Committee makes the selection from all applicants. Qualifications for this scholarship include being a BHS graduate and going on to further education in a field related to Guild interests, e.g. environmental planning, ecology, landscaping, botany, design, horticulture, forestry, conservation, etc.

Daughter of Sean and Cindy Hastings, Sarah is a native of Braintree and has been educated exclusively in the Braintree public school system along with her five siblings. Other awards she received include the National Honor Society scholarship for academic achievement. Extracurricular BHS activities included being a member of the cross-country running team and racing through miles of wooded trails.

Graduating in the top 10% of her class, Sarah will be entering Mt. Holyoke College in September and has elected Environmental Architecture as her major. One of her senior year advanced level AP courses for college credit in preparation for her major was Environmental Science. Her interest is in “sustainable” and environmentally friendly building design. She plans to combine her interest in art and drawing with designing aesthetically interesting structures. After college, her desire is to work abroad for a time designing “sustainable” structures in developing countries.

In accordance with her general interest in the outdoors, Sarah will work for the second summer as a weekly volunteer at the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth. She states that much of the work is “cleanup” and she also assists with the care of injured wildlife.

In addition to her academic and extracurricular school activities, Sarah has received accolades from her neighbors and Patriot Ledger clientele for being a dedicated and personable newspaper carrier, come wind or sleet or snow, for a number of years.

Sarah has expressed sincere appreciation for this scholarship and other awards and plans to use them wisely to achieve her career goals. The Gardeners Guild is honored to assist this well-rounded young woman with her educational development and career path and wishes her every success in all of her future endeavors.