Farm Bureau scholarships benefit agricultural students

» July 29, 2010 «

Two aspiring farmers and two students who plan to study agricultural law have earned special scholarship awards granted by the California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation. In all, 59 students earned $165,750 in scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year.

The foundation awards scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers as farmers, ranchers or in occupations related to agriculture. Scholarships are awarded based on students’ academic achievements, leadership skills, career goals, extracurricular activities and other factors.

Following interviews with the applicants, the foundation awarded special scholarships to four students:

• Dominic Assali of Ceres won the Howard P. Wackman II Perpetual Memorial Award, a scholarship of $2,750 named for the late California Farm Bureau Federation vice president. Assali will be a freshman this fall at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he will major in dairy science. He plans to be a dairy farmer and grow almonds upon graduation.

• Christian Alexandre of Crescent City earned the Frederick J. Heringer Honorary Award, a scholarship of $2,500 named for the late CFBF president. Alexandre will enter Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, this fall as a freshman majoring in agricultural business management, and plans a career as a dairy farmer.

• Ashley Correia of Lemoore was granted the $2,250 Carolyn Richardson Memorial Award. An incoming freshman at California State University, Fresno, Correia will be an agricultural pre-law major and plans to work as an agricultural attorney upon graduation. The scholarship is named for the late CFBF environmental advocate.

• Tatiana Prestininzi of Fallbrook earned the John H. Wiechman Memorial Award, a $2,250 scholarship given in memory of the late CFBF Leadership Development manager. Prestininzi will be a freshman at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in agricultural science, and plans a career as an agricultural attorney.

A fifth special scholarship category, the Rustici Livestock and Rangeland Scholarship Award, benefits rangeland-management students who plan careers in beef or sheep ranching or in range management. Twenty students earned Rustici scholarships totaling $5,000 each: Marie Bays, Patterson; Brett Behlen, Clovis; Matthew Bowen, Glennville; Katherine Bradley, Calpine; Clayton Brown, McArthur; Wayne Cockrell, Cedarville; James Connolly, Tracy; Garrett Daley, Oroville; Danielle Groteguth, Elk Creek; Taylor Hagata, Susanville; Charles Hamilton, Rio Vista; Kody Kester, Parkfield; William McDonald, Galt; Matthew Miller, Tracy; Weston Roberti, Loyalton; Katharine Rosser, Marysville; Kirby Swickard, Susanville; Katie Tierney, Atascadero; Jasmine Westbrook, Dixon; and Trevor Wood, Susanville.

California Farm Bureau Scholarship awards of $1,600 apiece were awarded to 35 students: Collin Abraham, Livingston; Alina Amaral, Sonoma; Kerilyn Ambrosini, Ferndale; Daniel Bays, Patterson; Alexandra Beeler, Escalon; Bliss Bidwell, Hat Creek; Mandy Brazil, Petaluma; Claire Brumley, Escalon; Dustin Cain, Arbuckle; Katherine Camozzi, Petaluma; Jason Colombini, Linden; Kathryn Daley, Oroville; Craig Diener, Five Points; Nicole Ghidinelli, Ferndale; Heidi Goss, Rio Oso; Alana Hall, Yreka; Alison King, Atwater; Drew Knight, Glenn; Kimberly Macintosh, Sutter Creek; Madison Maximo, Pine Valley; Amanda Meneses, Tulare; Cassie Miner, Riverdale; Diana Paasch, Grass Valley; Emily Paddack, Livermore; Alayna Renner, Ferndale; Kelsey Scheckla, Loyalton; Jaylene Scott, Montague; Shelby Sisk, McArthur; Kristen Stanfield, Hanford; Lauren Stanfield, Hanford; Simmie Stayer, Palo Cedro; Alexander Thompson, Bakersfield; Mark Tobias, Hollister; Mitchell Yerxa, Colusa; and Steven Zimmerman, Coarsegoald.

The California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation has awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships since its inception in 1955.

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of 81,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.