Bureau County Farm Bureau Foundation provides scholarships to 11 students

Eleven Bureau County students received financial assistance from the Bureau County Farm Bureau Foundation to help cover costs associated with continuing their education.

For the past 29 years, the Bureau County Farm Bureau Foundation has made a financial commitment to assist individuals interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. To date, $118,000 has been provided in scholarships to individuals who are Bureau County Farm Bureau members or their dependents. This year the Foundation distributed $15,000 in scholarships to Bureau County students. The Foundation funding is supported by private contributions, including those from Bureau County Farm Bureau members.

The recipients are:

Lilly Allicks is a student at Illinois Valley Community College. She has chosen to pursue a degree in Animal Science. She has selected this area of study because through her on-farm experiences she has found she enjoys working with the animals and the hands-on experiences it gives her. In the future she would like to own and operate her own cattle operation.

Troy Anderson is a recent graduate of Ohio High School. He has chosen to pursue a degree in Agriculture Engineering at Iowa State University. He has selected this area of study because it gives him the opportunity to enter a career where he can help others throughout the world. In the future he hopes to be a part of developing and testing the cutting edge of technology in the future of agriculture engineering.

Alex Jagers is transferring from Illinois Valley Community College and plans to go to the University of Illinois. He has chosen to pursue a degree in Farm Management. He has selected this area of study because he has always been interested in agriculture and fascinated by the technology and machinery used on today’s farms. In the future he plans to run the family farm.

Kennedy Kloepping recently graduated from Black Hawk College-East Campus and plans to transfer to Western Illinois University in the fall. Kennedy has chosen to pursue a degree in Agricultural Education. She has selected this area of study because it brings her joy to introduce people to the ag industry who otherwise would not have the opportunity. In the future she would like to pursue her master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and begin to teach in a small town while building their ag program in their school.

Grace May is attending the University of Illinois majoring in Agriculture and Consumer Economics with a concentration in Public Policy and Law and a minor in Business and Political Science. She has chosen this area of study because it helps her better understand the economic background of the ag industry and how the decisions made by both the producers and the consumers affect our society. She said that she has a passion for bringing policy change to rural communities where economic and educational needs are often overlooked in the political setting. In the future she would like to either become a policy consultant or lobbyist within the agriculture industry.

Jack May recently graduated from Princeton High School this spring. He has chosen to pursue a degree in Agriculture Production Technology at Black Hawk East. He has selected this area of study because he has always been interested in raising crops and wants to learn more. In the future he would like to obtain his associate degree and possibly transfer to a four-year college. Eventually he would like a career in agriculture while also working on the family farm.

Emma Stabler recently graduated from Bureau Valley High School this spring. She has chosen to pursue a degree in Animal Science at Iowa State University. She has selected this area of study because she wants to become a veterinarian. In the future she would like to own and manage her own vet clinic.

Katelyn Stoller recently graduated from Bureau Valley High School this spring. She has chosen to pursue a degree in Agribusiness at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville. She has selected this area because she has grown up surrounded by agriculture and knows the hard work and dedication it takes to farm. She is interested in the business side of the industry. In the future she would like to find an entry-level job working for a grain marketing business and eventually become a grain merchandiser.

Ella Thacker recently graduated from Bureau Valley High School this spring. She has chosen to pursue a degree in Ag Production and Business at Black Hawk East. She has selected this area of study because it will be better prepared for her future career. Her plans are to take over the family farm where she will grow her farmable acres and raise cattle.

Wyatt Wessel has chosen to pursue a degree in Soil and Crop Science at Illinois State University. He has selected this area of study because of his time working with research groups and the knowledge he has gained through his experiences. In the future he would like to earn his bachelor’s degree from ISU and acquire his Certified Crop Advisor certificate. He ideally would like to help others with crop management decisions in the future.

Carli Wright has chosen to pursue a degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. She has selected this area of study because of its profound impact on global food security and sustainability. Her professional goal is to contribute to the development and implementation of practices that optimize crop yield, conserve natural resources, and mitigate environmental impacts.

All these students were active in extracurricular activities with strong backgrounds in a variety of programs such as FFA, 4-H, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Young Leaders, as well as church and other school related programs.