Cal Poly Floral Team Places First in National Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2016 

Contact: AnnMarie Cornejo
805-756-2427; ancornej@calpoly.ed

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Floral Design Team earned first place at the Floral Designer’s 2016 Symposium held July 2 to 3 in Anaheim, Calif. 

Cal Poly students also took top honors in several individual categories at the AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) Symposium and Student Floral Design Competition. In all, 11 colleges, including Texas A&M and Missouri State University, and 52 contestants took part in the national competition. 

In the Duplication Arrangement competition, in which students are tasked with making two arrangements exactly the same, Agricultural Science major Kirsten Smith from Los Osos tied for first place.  

In the Wedding Bouquet Design competition, Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences majors Sara Do from San Gabriel and Dawn Mones from Kapaa, Hawaii, placed second and fourth, respectively. 

Do also took fourth place for her design of an arrangement for cocktail tables. 

Horticulture and Crop Science lecturer Melinda Lynch is the team’s advisor. 

About the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD)
AIFD was established in 1965 to advance the art of professional floral design through education, service and leadership and to recognize the achievement of excellence in this art form. AIFD and its members are industry leaders in educational design programs and floral designs for events including the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Academy Awards and presidential inaugurations. 

About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students. 

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