We’re excited to announce that a Connecticut resident is among the Top Award Winners of 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.
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, Michelle McDonald of Storrs, Connecticut, received a package of prizes including a mentorship with Erin Kirk, Esq. from the Connecticut Office of the Cannabis Ombudsman, the only cannabis ombudsman in the U.S. McDonald’s package also includes a mentorship with one of the scientists at the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy, tickets to the NECANN industry conferences in New Jersey, Boston and Vermont as well as 2026 SUNY Niagara Cannabis Conference.
“Everything I do is to serve the industry, at the end of the day,” she said after hearing the news. “So I really appreciate the opportunity to go out there and meet people.”
McDonald is a PhD candidate who majored in Plant Science at the University of Minnesota. She also has experience working at a cultivation facility in California’s cannabis industry, where she worked collecting phenotype data, pruning, watering and trimming. She is the author of two published studies with a third currently under review.
“My passion lies at the intersection of cannabis and plant breeding where applied science meets real world impact,” McDonald wrote in her application essay. “I am particularly interested in developing F1 hybrid and tetraploid cultivars to increase yields and cannabinoid content, creating doubled haploid plants to accelerate the process of producing F1 hybrid seed, and identifying molecular markers to improve selection efficiency.”
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:
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.