Hood County residents Hannah Duncan and Allyson Matsinger have each been named as recipients of a 2026-2027 Lake Granbury Master Gardeners $2,000 scholarship. Funding for the scholarships comes from the annual plant sale.
Hannah Duncan graduated fifth in her class at Glen Rose High School, and will attend San Angelo State University. She plans to major in accounting and minor in agribusiness, hoping to merge both interests as an agricultural accountant. A resident of Hood County, Hannah has been very active volunteering at her church and participating in Awana, VBS, Sunday school and the nursery at Mambrino Baptist church. She was involved in the Good News club and participated in the immersive poverty experience. Her interest in agriculture began in Wildlife Career Development Education class, where she learned about plants, and nature tracking and trapping. She has been working in the community for the last four years saving for college expenses.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” said Hannah. “After starting the wildlife classes and identifying plants, I genuinely do love plants.”
Granbury High School graduate Allyson Matsinger will attend Tarleton State University to study agricultural education and minor in animal science. She plans to earn her bachelor’s degree, then a teaching certificate from Texas Education Agency, to become an agriculture science teacher. She is eager to accomplish this, as she will be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Allyson was very active in the local FFA chapter; showing livestock (cattle, lambs and rabbits), poultry, livestock judging, leadership development, flora culture and nursery landscaping. She was an active member of the GHS yearbook team and photography class. She was one of the first students to volunteer as part of her classroom partnership with the Hood County AgriLife Extension Services office and Lake Granbury Master Gardeners. In addition to all her hard work in school, Allyson worked in the community.
“I’ve loved getting to know quite a few of you,” said Allyson. “You’ve been a huge encouragement in nursery landscape. Thank you all so much.”
“The volunteerism, motivation and self-reliance these students exhibited was encouraging and inspiring,” said LGMG Scholarship Committee Chair Alicia Flower. “Plus, they have a commitment to the study of horticulture.”
The Lake Granbury Master Gardeners (LGMG), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, works to improve the quality of life in Hood County by sharing horticultural information through various projects, programs, events and activities. It is an educational volunteer program in collaboration with the Texas AgriLife Extension Services of the Texas A&M University System.
More information about LGMG can be found on our new website, lakegranburymastergardeners.org, at Facebook.com/LakeGranburyMasterGardeners, by emailing lakegranburymastergardeners@gmail.com or by calling the Hood County Extension Office at 817-579-3280.
