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The Pest Management Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with the National Pest Management Association. Its mission is to advance the pest management industry through education, research and training. One major way that the Foundation accomplishes this is through scholarships that support students who are training in disciplines that can further pest control research and innovation.
The Foundation’s newest scholarship is the Hoffman Exterminating’s Bugsbee Buddies Scholarship, established by Hoffman’s Exterminating, which is now an Arrow Exterminators company. Named after the company’s mascot, Bugsbee, this $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduating high school senior entering college or trade school or a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate college student majoring in environmental sciences, entomology, food sciences or a related field, with an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Eligibility criteria
• Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of or are attending school in the Delaware Valley, including Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.
• Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate a meaningful connection to environmental stewardship, food safety and sustainability through academic research, professional experience, volunteer activity and/or other relevant engagement opportunities.
Bill Hoffman, founder and former owner of Hoffman’s Exterminating, is now Arrow Exterminators’ VP of food safety and commercial development. His statement regarding the scholarship is as follows:
For more than 46 years, the pest management industry has provided me with opportunities I could never have imagined. I started my career as a part-time helper, in the summer of 1980, with a regional family pest control company. I worked in the field with no experience, no education and no real direction as to where I would go. I was fortunate to learn from mentors, including Bill Kolbe, who invested their time, knowledge and belief in me. Establishing this scholarship through the Pest Management Foundation is my way of giving back to an industry that has given so much to me and my family.
I believe the future of our profession depends on attracting, developing and supporting the next generation of leaders. Through education, mentorship and opportunity, we can ensure that our industry continues to grow, innovate and serve our communities with excellence.
It is my hope that this scholarship helps aspiring professionals achieve their goals, discover their potential and build rewarding careers in an industry that has truly changed my life.
The scholarship application period opens Oct. 1. Visit the Foundation’s website for scholarship application requirements and how to apply. Or contact Foundation Executive Director (and Pest Management Professional “Callback Cures” columnist) Dr. Michael Bentley, BCE, at mbentley@pestworld.org.
About the Pest Management Foundation
he Foundation has been in existence for more than 30 years and was originally named the Buettner Pest Control Foundation in honor of William O. Buettner, the NPMA’s first president and executive vice president and Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer (Class of 1998).
