Blue Ridge Community College received a $7,000 student recruiting grant from the USPOULTRY Foundation, made possible by support from The Robert Burtner Strickler and Gladys Hopkins Strickler Student Recruiting Fund, established by a gift from Robert (Twig) H. Strickler. The check was presented by Twig and Lorraine Strickler and John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY, to Dr. John Downey, president of Blue Ridge Community College. Assisting in the presentation was Hobey Bauhan, president of the Virginia Poultry Federation, Rebecca Evans, associate professor of business/accounting for Blue Ridge Community College, and Omar Gutierrez, sophomore and second year Enactus student at Blue Ridge Community College.

The USPOULTRY Foundation board recently approved student recruiting grants totaling more than $263,000 to the six U.S. universities with poultry science departments and 22 other colleges and universities with industry related programs. The Foundation provides annual recruiting funds to colleges and universities to attract students to the poultry industry.

“This significant contribution will help Blue Ridge Community College students pursue their education in a field that is in high demand locally and nationally,” said Dr. Downey.

“As a visionary pioneer in our industry, Twig has long understood the need to recruit bright, young, energetic people to continually improve and advance the industry. We are grateful for his support of the Foundation, enabling us to make this grant,” commented John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY.