Andrew Ronan

2015 | Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship

Education: Paul Smiths College

Pursued Degree: Arboriculture, Business minor

Expected to graduate:  May 2018

My name is Andrew Ronan. I grew up in Westport, Massachusetts and have always loved the outdoors. When it was time to make a choice for high school, I applied to and was accepted at (BCAHS) Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, Massachusetts. It was there that I was introduced to Arboriculture. I was so inspired by my two instructors, that I decided as a junior it would be my career. While at BCAHS I remained on honor roll all four years. In addition, I received an All-Star Arboriculture Award two years in a row; along with All-Academic Awards in varsity wrestling and the 2013/2014 Massachusetts Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star award. My display of felling a tree properly earned the State Rosette Award in 2013. In 2014 I placed first in speed climb and throw line at the Massachusetts FFA Arbor Skills State Competition. However, High school was not all about competitions and awards; it was so much more. From 2012-2014, I worked under a local arborist on weekends and vacations. In 2014, I was hired by a landscaping company in Westport to prune shrubs and trees along with felling and removal of them. This position I will return to each summer. In the fall I will be a sophomore at Paul Smith’s College, which is located amidst the Adirondack Mountains in New York. I am pursuing a degree in Arboriculture as well as Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Management with a Business minor. I expect to graduate May 2018.