Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State is being recognized by the American Institute of Floral Designers for having the top student winners in recent national design competition.
Junior Mariah R. Baird and senior Jena Oh, both horticulture/retail floristry management majors from Starkville, collected the overall highest scores among a total of some 50 students from 15 universities and colleges taking part in the student challenge at the AIFD's 2006 Symposium in Washington, D.C.
Baird finished among the top three in the dried arrangements category, while Oh did the same in the sympathy category. They also were among leaders in the remaining categories: flowers-to-wear, flowers-to-carry and centerpieces.
Baird, who also is a landscape architecture major, earlier received the additional honor of a $1,000 AIFD Foundation Scholarship, one of two given this year by the AIFD's Southern Chapter.
The two students prepared for the national competition in a dozen practice sessions with professional designer Jim DelPrince, an associate professor of plant and soil sciences and adviser for MSU's AIFD chapter.
"Since students in the competition never know in advance what the specific design challenges will be, repeated practice in executing basic design principles is critical," DelPrince said. "As their honors indicate, Mariah and Jena practiced a great deal."
In addition to the preparatory sessions, Baird and Oh benefited from their part-time work at the MSU Florist. They are supervised there by chapter co-adviser Lynette McDougald, another AIFD-certified designer and the operation's business manager.
"Their consistent work in all five categories made the difference in bringing home the top honor," McDougald said. "Consistent design is what our retail teaching shop is all about."
MSU is among only a very few U.S. universities offering degrees in floristry retail management. While a full-service commercial enterprise, the campus florist serves primarily as a hands-on instructional laboratory for department of plant and soil sciences majors seeking the specialized training.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: Mariah Baird is the daughter of Richard and Sonya Baird. The parents of Jena Oh, who also is from Seoul, South Korea, are not listed.
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Also, for additional information, contact Dr. DelPrince at 662-325-1965 or Mrs. McDougald at 325-3585.