Pest Management Foundation Announces New Scholarships

FAIRFAX, Va. — The Pest Management Foundation announced the establishment of two new scholarships, the Rick Bell Industry Affairs Scholarship and the Wayne Golden Leadership in Action Scholarship.

The new scholarships are designed to support the next generation of pest management professionals.

The Rick Bell Industry Affairs Scholarship was established through the generosity of Arrow Exterminators and recognizes the lasting contributions of Rick Bell to the pest management industry. The scholarship aims to support students interested in the role of public policy and industry affairs in pest management. It will be awarded annually to a student pursing a degree that benefits urban pest management and industry stewardship through public policy involvement at a Georgia college or university.

“After a long and rewarding career at Arrow Exterminators, I was given the honor of a scholarship in my name,” said Rick Bell. “Industry affairs and public policy in pest management have been a small niche for many years but now the group is growing with people and talent. We will always have good and bad legislation to monitor and engage, and I sincerely hope this scholarship will further the career of an aspiring pest management professional with an interest in industry affairs and the legislative & regulatory community.”

The scholarship is one award per year totaling $1,000.

Eligibility requirements:

• Full-time student in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Applicant must be enrolling in or already enrolled in a Georgia college or university
• Student must be pursuing a degree program that benefits urban pest management
• Recipients of the Rick Bell Industry Affairs Scholarship must also commit to writing a letter of appreciation outlining how the scholarship has helped them in their academic endeavors.

The Wayne Golden Leadership in Action Scholarship was established by Neighborly Pest Management, Rollins Inc., Holiday Termite & Pest Control, Payne Pest Management, Connecticut Pest Control Association, Rid-A-Bug Exterminating Co., and Latarsha Horne to honor Wayne Golden’s leadership and commitment to strengthening the pest management industry.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a high school student entering college or trade school whose studies focus on urban entomology, rodentology or biological sciences. Priority will be given to minority students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities, military veterans or those with direct family members actively serving or who have served in the military, and students whose families serve in the pest control industry.

“My hope is that this scholarship removes one barrier and gives the recipient the confidence to pursue what they’re capable of achieving,” said Wayne Golden.

The scholarship is one award per year totaling $1,000.

Eligibility requirements:

• Student graduating from high school entering college or trade school
• Full-time student in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Students whose studies focus on urban entomology, rodentology or biological sciences
• Priority given to minority students whose families serve in the pest control industry
• Priority given to applicants attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Priority given to military veterans or applicants with direct family members actively serving or who have served in the military

Application requirements:

• Resume or curriculum vita
• Current unofficial academic transcript
• A minimum one-page essay describing the applicant’s professional goals, aspirations and how they plan to use their studies to contribute to the field of urban pest management
• At least one letter of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant’s work ethic, academic progress and how they plan to use their studies to contribute to their field
• Other supporting documents, including research papers, proposals, faculty research participation and related industry internship participation, among others, can also be submitted

Applications for these and all other Foundation scholarships will open in October. Further details on applying for these scholarships can be found here.