UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Mary Colson, daughter of David and Melanie Colson of Pilesgrove, N.J., will receive the Outstanding Senior Award from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences at the college's commencement ceremony at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 13 in Eisenhower Auditorium.

This award, sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Coaly Society, honors the senior who best combines academics, extracurricular activities, work experience and communication skills. Candidates are selected based on resumes, short essays, grades and interviews.

A 2002 graduate of Woodstown High School, Colson will receive her B.S. degree in horticulture with a business production option and a minor in agricultural business management. In addition to earning excellent grades -- she made the dean's list seven semesters -- she was involved in many activities and received a number of honors during her college career.

Colson has interned for two years at Centerton Nursery in southern New Jersey, where she gained valuable plant-production experience for a large wholesale nursery. She worked on campus in a cacao research lab and as a teaching assistant for a plant propagation course for two years.

She has also been very active on campus, where she served as a college ambassador (Ag Advocate) and was a member of the Horticulture Club, the horticulture honors society Pi Alpha Xi, and the Coaly Society. She also was chapter vice-president of the National Agri-Marketing Association.

Colson participated on the Floral Crop Evaluation and Design Team, placed in several plant identification contests and served as a resident assistant for two years. She was also selected to travel to Vienna, Austria, for an international horticulture conference in 2004. After graduation, she will return to Europe for a 10-day horticulture tour of the Netherlands.

"With such an impressive graduating class, I am very proud to receive this honor and to represent Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Class of 2006," Colson says. "It has been a rewarding experience to have met and worked with so many successful students and faculty over the last four years. We have all earned an impressive and meaningful education and I am sure our opportunities in agriculture will continue as alumni."

After graduation, Colson plans to return to Centerton Nursery, where she will assume the role of head of propagation and will produce close to a million plant liners for the nursery. In addition to working full-time at Centerton, she will also be establishing a floral design business. She is looking forward to becoming active in many "green industry" associations as well as the local Penn State alumni chapter.

Her sister, Sara Colson, an agricultural and extension education major with minors in International agriculture and leadership development, also will receive her bachelor's degree at Saturday's ceremony.

###

EDITORS: For more information, contact Jillian Stevenson at 814-863-2831.

Jeff Mulhollem Writer/Editor Phone: 814-863-2719 E-mail: jjm29@psu.edu