Skip Links
The scholarship is awarded by the industry body for plant nurseries and related businesses, New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated (NZPPI).
NZPPI represents plant producers and industry partners across Aotearoa. Its members grow the seedlings, rootstock and plants used across sectors including restoration, forestry, food production and public planting.
The NZPPI Fraser Award scholarship is valued at $3000 and aims to help young people in the nursery industry fund their qualifications and further training. It recognises individuals who show genuine commitment to learning and developing their careers in plant production and horticulture.
Keenan received his award at a special milestone ceremony celebrating 30 years of the Young Plant Producer competition, and as part of the NZPPI annual conference.
He was accompanied by his family, who Keenan acknowledged when accepting the award. “I am extremely humbled to receive this award,” he said. “I have such huge gratitude and appreciation for my support group. My success is a true testament to the ones around me.”
“From the team at NMIT, my family, fiancé, Annton Nursery team, Steve Burton, and everyone in between, I truly owe my success to the spectacular people in my life, and our industry for constantly pushing me to strive for excellence.”
Keenan says he was surprised when Steve first told him he had won the Fraser Award. “I was in complete shock,” he says. “I had never considered that my contribution to the horticulture industry could be more than just another person working at another nursery.”
Along with the winner’s trophy, Keenan was awarded a $3000 professional development fund on behalf of NZPPI and IPPS (International Plant Propagators’ Society) to advance his career in plant production.
Keenan will also take part in the Young Horticulturalist of the Year Awards in November, competing against finalists from across the New Zealand horticulture industry.
In selecting Keenan as their Fraser Award winner, NZPPI were impressed by his enthusiasm, the skills he is continuously building, and the natural leadership qualities he displays.
“The Fraser Award scholarship and the Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition highlight the amazing career opportunities that plant production offers to young people. Keenan’s award is a well-deserved recognition of the effort and drive for continuo”
Keenan was nominated for the award by Pam Wood, Curriculum Area Manager for Primary Industries at NMIT.
“Keenan is a stand-out student of our work-integrated programmes,” Pam says. “He embodies a strong commitment and passion for the horticultural industry, which he consistently demonstrates throughout his studies and his everyday mahi.”
“Keenan has already achieved so much at a young age and has enormous potential to grow in his chosen career. Huge congratulations to Keenan, and to Annton Nursery.”
Keenan is now the Nursery Manager at Annton Nursery Ltd, where he has been working, alongside his studies through NMIT, since he was just 16 years old. NMIT’s flexible, mixed-delivery model allows Keenan to balance working full-time with his family commitments, while studying towards his New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Production (Level 4) (Nursery Production)(external link).
He has a weekly online tutorial with his horticulture peers and tutor Dr Robin Atherton(external link), as well as attending block courses twice per year, on-site at a local wholesale production nursery. Keenan also undertakes hands-on learning and assessments in his workplace, with the support of NMIT’s workplace training partners.
His employer, Steve Burton, says, “It is hard to put into words how much I value Keenan and his input into the business.”
“I took great pleasure in presenting the Fraser Award winner’s letter to Keenan; he is a very deserving recipient. I suspect he will have a long and distinguished career in horticulture; receiving this award only reinforces what he is capable of.”
Keenan has enjoyed his experience of learning and building his skills ‘on the job’ with NMIT.
"If you’re on the fence about studying horticulture, I say, take the leap! It’s an amazing industry, great community, and grounding work, with real-life meaning and purpose, plus constant learning and growth." he says.
Learn more about Horticulture at NMIT!
