Northeast Agribusiness & Feed Alliance and NYS FFA Foundation Announce Inaugural Scholarship Winners
John Clark, Vice President of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance announced the winners of four college scholarships to worthy recipients planning to enroll in agricultural studies. Three of the recipients include (L to R) Anna Post, Bovina Center, NY, Alexis Payne, Glenfield, NY and Karly Marshman, Oxford, NY. Nathan Swede, Pavilion, NY is the fourth recipient of a $500 scholarship.
The Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (NEAFA) announced the inaugural four recipients of a joint NEAFA and NYS FFA Foundation scholarship on Thursday, February 21st, 2019, at the NYS FFA Ag Education NY Farm Show. “This year is the first of what we hope will be many to come in awarding scholarships to worthy high school seniors,” said Andy Dugan, President of NEAFA. The scholarship is for individuals entering college to study in a field of agriculture. Winners are Alexis Payne of Glenfield, NY, Karly Marshman of Oxford, NY, Anna Post of Bovina Center, NY, and Nathan Swede of Pavilion, NY. Recipients were awarded $500.
Alexis Payne is currently deciding between SUNY Cobleskill or Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She plans on obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences with a focus on Dairy Science and a minor in Agricultural Education. “I would like to earn a job as either a Dairy Nutritionist or an Agriculture Education Teacher, depending on the route I decide to take,” said Payne. “Either way, I am going to continue my future in the industry that I love.”
Karly Marshman plans to attend SUNY Morrisville in the fall of 2019. “I will be completing an associates degree in Agricultural Science and finishing my bachelors degree in Agricultural Business,” said Marshman. “Once I complete my bachelors degree I will go on to complete my masters degree in Agricultural Education! I hope to complete my studies as of the year 2023 and start teaching Agricultural Education in New York State soon after that!”
Anna Post plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill to get a degree in Ag Science/Agronomy and or Ag Policy. Her goals are to “work with one of our local elected representatives to voice the importance of agriculture and advocate for the importance of dairy farms, and family owned farms. I want to advocate for the dairy industry in hopes that the issues present in the industry would be aided, and eventually resolved. I also plan to return to the family farm, and make improvements in the herd and on the farm, because the farm is very important to me.”
Nathan Swede is still searching for the right college to attend, but is planning to study business and the crop side of agriculture. “I believe attending a nice college will teach me these skills to be successful down the road in my career,” said Swede. “Different classes like accounting, marketing, agronomy, and many others should translate well for me in what I want to do.”
Todd Lighthall, Executive Director of the NYS FFA Foundation, is pleased to collaborate with NEAFA. “We’ve had an increasingly close working relationship with NEAFA, and we were thrilled when they approached us with the idea for this new scholarship,” said Lighthall. “We provided the administration in terms of getting the word out, accepting applications, and making scholarship determinations. We look forward to continuing this very positive partnership.”
Funding for the scholarship comes from NEAFA’s Good Works Program, which has awarded over $100,000 to worthy causes that promote the advancement of the animal agriculture industry throughout the Northeastern United States.
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The Northeast Agribusiness & Feed Alliance is a trade association of agribusiness companies including feed, seed, fertilizer, financial services, transportation, veterinary, nutritional services, and professional advisors committed to a thriving Northeast agricultural community. NEAFA provides professional support to agribusiness through advocacy, collaboration and educational services. For more information about the scholarship please visit http://www.nyffafoundation.org/