We’re excited to announce that six Florida residents are among the first class of the DaySavers Higher Potential Scholarship Award Winners, a first-of-its-kind initiative to help forge the next generation of cannabis industry leadership.
The Florida winners include two Top Award Recipients: Alexis Pressley of Ocala and Delaney Borelli of Orlando.
Consisting of more than 200 prizes totaling more than $25,000, the Higher Potential Scholarship provides opportunities for current and future members of the industry, all donated by 25 different brands, businesses and organizations inside the cannabis space.
This week, Pressley was awarded tuition-free seats to the Ganjier Product Specialist program, free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of her choosing, a tuition-free seat and to the Operator Academy and a consulting mentorship with CEO and host of The Canna Boss Babes podcast.
Pressley is a medical cannabis patient turned advocate and brand ambassador. She hopes to learn more about how cannabis interacts with the body with the goal of becoming an entrepreneur in the space.
“Ultimately, I want to help create a future where patients, parents, and everyday people feel safe, respected, and supported in their cannabis journeys,” she wrote in her application essay.
Borelli was awarded a membership to Women Employed in Cannabis, tickets to the Champs Florida trade show and a package from Ganjactivist that includes a media package featuring coverage and promotion as well as event access and experiences with The Legacy Project.
Borelli is a dispensary manager with a master’s degree in in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland. Her ultimate goal is to found an assisted living facility specifically for adults with autism that use medical cannabis.
“Cannabis education is my passion, and I hope to network with more wonderful souls that feel the same way,” she wrote in her application essay.
Other award winners from Florida include:
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Terry Haase of Port St. Lucie was awarded a mentorship with Erin Kirk, Esq. from the Connecticut Office of the Cannabis Ombudsman, free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of their choosing, consulting and mentorship with CEO and host of The Canna Boss Babes podcast and tickets to the Champs Florida trade show.
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Brad Schecter of Cooper City was awarded free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of his choosing;
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Bruce Bragg, Jr., of Sarasota was awarded a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy and free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of their choosing;
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Germaine Duncan of Fort Myers was awarded free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of their choosing; and
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Rheanna Koziol of Palm Harbor was awarded consulting and mentorship with CEO and host of The Canna Boss Babes podcast.
Winners come from 30 different states and were selected based on their application and personal essay detailing their background, interests, passion and journey in the cannabis space.
The Higher Potential Scholarship Initiative is part of DaySavers’ broader mission to advance cannabis education, equity and industry innovation. Founding sponsors include Custom Cones USA, the DaySavers family of brands, Ganjier, SUNY Niagara and Cannabis & Tech Today, among others.
“These awards will help provide potentially life-changing access to education about one of the fastest-growing and most exciting industries in the country, impacting both the lives of the students and the business of cannabis in general,” said James Valentine, DaySavers’ Communications & Content Marketing Manager and Scholarship Administrator. “This is an investment in people and in the future of the industry.”
Other Higher Potential Scholarship recipients received:
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Education & Resources: Tuition-free seats in cannabis programs from Ganjier, SUNY Niagara, Operator Academy, Green CulturED, Veterinary Cannabis Society, and resources from DaySavers, Sage Advice, Women Employed in Cannabis, and CannaSiteCo.
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Mentorship: One-on-one developmental mentorships and experiences with industry leaders Dr. Miyabe Shields and Dr. Riley Kirk (Co-Founders of Network of Applied Pharmacognosy), Harrison Bard and Fredrik Rading (Co-Founders of Custom Cones USA), Jessica Ferranti (Founder & CEO of The Mycelia Group), Erin Kirk, Esq. (Connecticut Cannabis Ombudsman), Ashley Manta (Creator of CannaSexual), Trinity Madison (Founder & CEO of Camp Laughing Grass), Ishqa Hillman (Founder & Host of The Canna Boss Babes), and M. Omari Jackson (Founder & CEO of Ganjactivist).
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Industry Access: Event access and editorial opportunities through Marijuana Venture, Cannabis & Tech Today, NECANN, IgniteIt Cannabis, CannaCon, The Cannabis Alliance, Fill-a Blunts, and Smoke Temple.