Contact: Maridith Geuder
MSU student Suzanne Williams' mother-of-the-bride corsage is a national award winner.
Four hours of daily practice for a month, unusual caged designs and grace under pressure gave two Mississippi State seniors top honors in recent national floral design competition.
In student competition sponsored by the American Institute of Floral Designers at its annual symposium, Suzanne I. Williams of Vicksburg took top overall honors, as well as a first-place award in "flowers to wear." Aisha M. Booker of Jackson finished second overall among nearly 50 competitors from around the nation. Both are majoring in horticulture, with an emphasis in retail floristry management.
"This is extremely demanding competition, requiring that students complete multiple designs within a specified time period," said faculty adviser James DelPrince. "Their wins are an impressive showing for Mississippi State against some major institutions."
DelPrince, who accompanied the students to the New York City event, said MSU's last overall win came in 1982.
Williams and Booker trained for a month in advance, working under the time constraints they would face at the competition. "We had really practiced," Williams emphasized.
A few unexpected setbacks occurred once the competition began. "I had planned to use silver wire on one arrangement but couldn't find it," she explained with a laugh. Adjusting quickly, she chose gold wire as a substitute.
"The design was a corsage appropriate for a mother of the bride," Williams said. "I looked at it and thought, 'It's okay, but I don't think it will win anything.'" Contrary to expectations, the creation earned first place in the "flowers to wear" category.
In addition to finishing in second place overall, Booker also won second-place honors for a hospital arrangement that included roses spiraled with wire.
"I actually thought I had a chance to win in the sympathy arrangement category," Booker recalled. "Instead, I came in fourth, but my hospital design placed much better."
Established in 1965, AIFD promotes the art of floral design as a professional career. The organization has nearly 1,300 members worldwide.
MSU's retail floristry management curriculum was developed more than two decades ago to help meet the needs of America's multimillion-dollar retail florist industry. The four-year program is the only one of its kind in the Southeast.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, telephone Dr. DelPrince at (662) 325-1965.