Dairy producers, through their checkoff investment, awarded 20 scholarships to students throughout the nation who are majoring in degrees with a dairy emphasis and who have shown potential to become future dairy leaders.
The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through DMI, annually awards up to 19 $1,500 scholarships to eligible undergraduate students enrolled in programs that emphasize dairy. The majors can include journalism, communications/public relations, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science, or ag education. In addition, NDB awards the $2,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient.
“When selecting scholarship winners, the committee looks for academic achievement, an interest in the field of dairy and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity,” said Kimberly Clauss, California dairy producer and NDB chair. “These students represent some of the brightest and most dedicated members of our industry’s future, and it gives us great pleasure to recognize their academic achievements and assist them with their college educations.”
The 2009-2010 $2,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Kaci Probst, who is a student at Eastern Illinois University.
The $1,500 scholarship winners are:
Rachael A. Becker, South Dakota State University
Paula J. Craun, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Leslie German, Oklahoma State University
April Johnson, South Dakota State University
Londa Johnson, University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Heather Jons, South Dakota State University
Ashley Julka, University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Melissa Lax, South Dakota State University
Rosemary R. Liskey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Brittany Moorse, South Dakota State University
Kathryn Norling, South Dakota State University
Aaron Palmer, Iowa State University
Rachel Patrick, South Dakota State University
Ana Schweer, South Dakota State University
Nicole Marie Stevens, South Dakota State University
Anna Troester, University of Wisconsin – Platteville
Michelle Vander Linden, South Dakota State University
Samantha Wahls, South Dakota State University
Abbie Wirt, South Dakota State University