“The 2016 scholarship winners will positively impact the swine industry in the future,” said the National Pork Board President Derek Sleezer, a pork producer from Cherokee, Iowa. “We have an ongoing obligation to producers to help develop the next generation of pork producers. The goal is to ensure a sustainable source of leaders who will be ready to produce safe, wholesome food in a socially responsible way.”
The 22 student recipients hail from 10 states and 15 universities and represent five different majors in swine-related fields. The 2016 Pork Industry Scholarship recipients are:
- Taylor Homann, Pipestone, Minnesota – University of Minnesota
- Kyle Anderson, Abilene, Kansas – Kansas State University
- Ashton Yoder, Welda, Kansas – Kansas State University
- Kristin Hansen, Elk Horn, Iowa – Iowa State University
- Marissa Lorenz, New Paris, Indiana – Purdue University
- Rachel Stika, Ames, Iowa – Iowa State University
- Tyler Dick, Mountain Lake, Minnesota – University of Minnesota
- Julia Holen, St. Paul, Minnesota – University of Minnesota
- Riley Wattonville, Huxley, Iowa – Iowa State University
- Katlyn Kahler, Cambridge, Iowa – Iowa State University
- Tana Luna, Troy, Texas – Texas A&M University
- Scott Schroeder, LeMars, Iowa – South Dakota State University
- Kayla Hoenert, Wadesville, Indiana – Purdue University
- Sarah Battista, Suffield, Ohio – West Virginia University
- Morgan Weinrich, Yuma, Colorado – Colorado State University
- Caleb Plett, Duncan, Oklahoma – Cameron University
- Carly Lukas, Galesburg, Illinois – Western Illinois University
- Madison Furr, New Braunfels, Texas – Texas A&M University
- Sarah Morton, Nehawka, Nebraska – University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Keegan Vander Molen, Pella, Iowa – Oklahoma State University
- Camille Ogdon, Normandy Park, Washington –
Washington State University - Madalyn Tessa Cowser, Elmwood, Illinois –
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“The next generation of industry leaders will face new challenges, so we definitely need a skilled workforce and strong leadership,” Sleezer said. “We are excited that this group of young people look at pork not just as a food choice, but also as a career path. On behalf of the Pork Checkoff, the National Pork Board and the pork industry, I congratulate this year’s Pork Industry Scholarship recipients and look forward to welcoming them into our industry in the future.”