At the Saddleback College Foundation Award Ceremony held on on Friday, May 14, 2026 the Laguna Beach Garden Club was proud to award two $3125 scholarships to deserving students majoring in Horticulture. These scholarships are made possible through our major fundraiser, our Gate & Garden Tour held the 1st Saturday in May in combination with generous donations from our members, our sponsors, and other donors. This year our Saddleback scholarships were awarded to Valerie Peabody and Kyle Schumacher.
Valerie Peabody
Recipient Valerie Peabody is a dedicated student at Saddleback College, working towards her degree in Sustainable Landscape Design, which she is scheduled to complete in the spring of 2027. Her experience includes over a decade in retail garden centers, she is a Master Gardener, and she has started her own landscape design practice based in Irvine. Saddleback College recently participated in the South Coast Plaza Spring Garden Show, and she was part of the design team. Their “California Room Garden” display won second place in the show. That’s an amazing accomplishment!
As a returning student after career changes, moving, and raising a family, she is extremely grateful for the support this scholarship provides. Valerie wished to express her gratitude to the members of the Laguna Beach Garden Club, “Not only will this scholarship help me pay for my tuition and school supplies, but it’s also a meaningful vote of confidence in my ability to complete my education. Thank you so much.”
Kyle Schumacher
Kyle was one of our scholarship winners for 2025 and to help him in his final push to earn his AA’s in both Sustainable Horticulture and Landscape Design we chose to award him an additional scholarship this year. He is obsessed with understanding the science behind ecosystems and how they work and how to mimic that in landscape design to not only make his clients happy but to provide ecological benefits to every space he works in.
Kyle is a dedicated student with a passion for native landscaping and finding ecological solutions to modern landscaping issues. Kyle will be finishing up both of his degrees after 2026-2027 and looks forward to helping Orange County become even more beautiful and healthy with his work!
Kyle says “I can’t thank you all enough for your help and support through this school journey, it’s made a big impact in my life”.
