April 15, 2015
Tanya Steffler: Scholarship leads to membership
Tanya Steffler
The funding did more than just provide financial assistance during her time at the University of Guelph. It also helped her to move into her present job with the City of Oshawa, where she just celebrated her 11th year.
“It’s funny, but the scholarship included a membership to Landscape Ontario,” says Steffler. “There was an ad in the magazine for the position I currently have with the City of Oshawa.
I never would have applied for this position if I didn’t receive that magazine.
I never would have seen the ad.”
Steffler serves as a Parks and Environmental Services Technician with the city. “I developed and manage the Pest Management Program, which I created to maintain the fields prior to the pesticide ban coming into effect.” She also handles the emerald ash borer program for Oshawa.
Steffler has a degree in plant biology, which she says comes in handy in her responsibilities for the entire municipality’s turf.
The 2003 scholarship recipient says the funding from the Foundation was well timed. “I was soon graduating and money is always tight after being a student for seven years.” Steffler attended Fanshawe College for Environmental Technology, before she became at student at the University of Guelph in Plant Biology.
The Foundation believes in helping future horticultural workers get a strong start. Each year the Foundation makes a number of scholarships, bursaries and awards available to high school and post-secondary students.