Thirteen Jersey youth continuing their education will receive scholarships from the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) totaling $38,350. They will receive their awards on November 5, 2022, at the Youth Awards Ceremony, which concludes junior events at The All American in Louisville, Ky.
The 13 recipients are pursuing higher education at universities and colleges in 10 different states—California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
They are pursuing degrees in agribusiness management, agricultural communications, animal science, business and animal management, dairy science, veterinary science.
Thirty-three students applied for scholarships from the AJCA this year. Youth can apply for as many scholarships for which they are eligible to compete.
Support for the AJCA scholarship program comes from eight different funds managed in perpetuity by the AJCA.
Other Scholarships and Awards
In addition to the scholarship awards listed below, four juniors received Reuben R. Cowles Youth Awards totaling $3,500.
Two juniors received Fred Stout Experience Awards. Jayme Ozburn, Lewisburg, Tenn., was chosen as the 2022 recipient for Jersey Marketing Service. He helped with several Jersey sales, including the National Heifer Sale. Maria Joy Poock, Boonville, Mo., was selected for the on-farm experience. She worked at Marcoot Jersey Creamery in Greenville, Ill., to learn about on-farm cheese processing.
Russell-Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies
Jessica Marie (Hanson) Deyoe
Ulysses, Kan.
This scholarship is available to graduate students seeking degrees in dairy science, animal science, large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product processing.
Jessica Marie (Hanson) Deyoe, Ulysses, Kan., will receive this year’s scholarship in the amount of $5,000. She also won the Russell-Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies in 2020.
She attended Seward County Community College (SCCC) after high school and then transferred to Kansas State University (KSU), where she earned her undergraduate degree in 2019. She is now in her third year in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She plans to return to rural Kansas and open a clinic that provides affordable veterinary services for local dairies. She also plans to continue to work toward her dream of exhibiting homebred Jersey cattle at World Dairy Expo.
Jessica and her family moved from Wisconsin to southwest Kansas when she was nine years old. In high school, she was active with 4-H and FFA, serving as an officer for each.
The Hansons managerially lease their cattle to non-farm youth and those who cannot afford it to give them opportunity to show at the county and state fairs. The Hansons were named Premier Exhibitor of the Kansas State Fair in 2020 and a family member exhibited the Grand Champion in 2021.
Jessica was treasurer for the Block and Bridle Club and collegiate Farm Bureau at SCCC and judged dairy for the team at KSU. She is a member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association, Dairy Action Team, and Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.
Jessica is a veterinary assistant at Konza Veterinary Clinic, has worked with the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
The Walter and Joyce Owens and Family Scholarship
Lydia Chittenden
Schodack Landing, N.Y.
The award in available to incoming or current students enrolled at an accredited two- or four-year college or university in a dairy related major. It is based on financial need, leadership skills, and academic performance.
The winner of the 2021 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest, Lydia Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., will be presented with the $5,000 scholarship. Lydia and her extended family own and operate Dutch Hollow Farm LLC. She takes a special interest in calf care and genetics.
She studied at the State University of New York-Cobleskill for two years and then transferred to Cornell University. Now a senior, she is working on a degree in animal science with a concentration in dairy. After graduation, she plans to pursue a fulfilling career in the dairy industry working with Jerseys and perhaps return to the home farm.
She attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2019 and received the Jack C. Nisbet Memorial Scholarship, the William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship and the Morris B. Ewing Scholarship. She has won awards in youth production contests many times, including both the National Jersey Youth Production Contest and Pot O’Gold Production Contest this year. She consigned a homebred heifer to the 2021 Pot O’Gold Sale that is out of a 2017 Pot O’Gold purchase.
This past summer, she was an intern at River Rock Ranch (formerly Yosemite Jersey Dairy) in Hilmar, Calif. In previous summers, she traveled an extensive show circuit that culminated with the All American Junior Jersey Show. A special joy was helping less seasoned exhibitors get their animals show ready.
Lydia represented the state at the National 4-H Dairy Conference in 2017 and was a member of the dairy judging teams that competed at contests at the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show and World Dairy Expo.
The Lineweaver Scholarship
Caroline Clarice Arrowsmith
Peach Bottom, Pa.
This award is available to students who have completed at least one year at an accredited four-year college or university in a dairy, animal science, or dairy products department. It is based on financial need, leadership skills, and academic performance.
Caroline Clarice Arrowsmith, Peach Bottom, Pa., has been named winner of the $4,000 scholarship.
She is a senior at Pennsylvania State University majoring in business and animal management and minoring in agribusiness management. She plans to pursue a vocation that will support dairy farmers in the area of young stock nutrition.
Caroline grew up on the family farm, Hillacres Dairy, where she helped with milking, feeding and farm maintenance. She has shown cattle at the local, state and national levels, including the All American Jersey Show. She has helped Triple T Holsteins and Jerseys, North Lewisburg, Ohio, and Glamourview, Walkersville, Md., prepare their cattle for shows and was an intern at Pine Tree Dairy in Marshallville, Ohio, in the summer of 2021.
She was chosen first alternate in the National Jersey Queen Contest in 2021. She attended Jersey Youth Academy and won the William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship in 2019.
Caroline has been president, secretary and treasurer of her 4-H club and president, vice president and secretary of her county Holstein club. She won dairy jeopardy at state and national competitions and helped to plan the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings hosted by her state in 2017.
She is social media and website chair of the Penn State Dairy Science Club, chronicler and caterer for the Morrill Chapter of Alpha Zeta fraternity, and the at-large representative of the junior advisory committee of Holstein Association USA She also works at the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence.
Morris B. Ewing ABS Global Genetic Performance Scholarship
Mary Elizabeth Holtz
Maquoketa, Iowa
Junior or senior undergraduate students seeking a career in genetics, dairy production, large animal veterinary medicine or milk marketing are eligible for this scholarship.
Mary Elizabeth Holtz, Maquoketa, Iowa, will receive the $3,500 scholarship. She is a senior at Iowa State University (ISU) with a double major in dairy science and international agriculture. Upon graduation, she will pursue a graduate degree in animal breeding and genetics. Her goal is to specialize in large animal reproductive procedures like embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization.
She operates Holtz-View Farms with her family. When her father was diagnosed with a life-altering illness seven years ago, she took on additional responsibilities for milking, feeding, cleaning, record keeping, and herd mating.
Mary placed third in the current National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. She has earned prizes in the National Jersey Youth Production Contest many times, including fourth in Division I this year with JX Max-Lord Barley Keizerin {4}. She attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2019 and has received both The Lineweaver Scholarship and the Cedarcrest Farms Scholarship.
Mary has been very active with the Iowa princess program as the 2019-2020 Jackson/Clinton County Dairy Princess and also was crowned Iowa Jersey Princess in 2018. She was president, vice president, secretary and reporter for her 4-H club and reporter for her FFA chapter. She participated in dairy quiz bowl and judged dairy cattle with the FFA team that competed at World Dairy Expo.
At ISU, she serves as co-chair for the dairy science club’s dairy products committee, helps with the “I Milked a Cow” exhibit at the state fair, and is active with the pre-veterinary club, collegiate 4-H, and the Block and Bridle Club.
Brentwood Farms Scholarship
Alaina Jane Johnson
Dakota, Minn.
Introduced this year, this scholarship is for students who have attended Jersey Youth Academy and are enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university majoring in an agriculture-based degree. The award is based on financial need, academic performance, and leadership skills.
Alaina Jane Johnson, Dakota, Minn., will be presented with the inaugural scholarship of $3,500. The college junior is an animal science major on the pre-veterinary track at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-River Falls. She plans to be a large animal veterinarian.
She developed a passion for Jersey cattle while working on her grandparent’s farm in La Crescent, Minn., and grew her herd with the advice and encouragement of aunts and uncles. Her enthusiasm also grew by showing, initially “Princess” at the county fair, and then at the state and national level. She has earned many champion laurels at the county fair and also exhibited at World Dairy Expo. She attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2019.
Alaina was crowned Minnesota Jersey Queen in 2020 and named a finalist in the Princess Kay of the Milky Way contest last summer.
She helped to launch a 4-H club in 2019 and has been secretary of the Houston County 4-H Federation. Alaina has also participated in dairy quiz bowl and dairy judging. She has served in leadership positions with her school’s student council, the Family Career and Community Leaders of America, Link Leaders, and National Honor Society.
At UW-River Falls, she is active in the pre-vet club and the dairy club and has been first vice president for the Beta Zeta chapter of Sigma Alpha fraternity. She also enjoys participating in intermural sports and advocating for the Jersey cow whenever and wherever possible.
William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship
Elizabeth Lucille Hyman
Adams, N.Y.
This scholarship is available to high school graduates accepted into a college or university for the fall program of the school year (entering freshmen).
Elizabeth Lucille Hyman, Adams, N.Y., will receive the scholarship award of $3,250.
She is a freshman at Jefferson Community College this year and plans to transfer to Michigan State University next fall and earn a degree in animal science with a dairy science concentration.
She was raised on the family Jersey farm, Hy-Light Farms LLC. As she grew, so did her responsibilities at the farm and activities with youth programs. Among her first memories is her fourth birthday, celebrated at the state fair, where she paraded her first Jersey calf, “Sandpaper,” in the ring.
She attended her first AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in Gettysburg, Pa., in 2017 when her mother, Heather, received the Young Jersey Breeder Award. She participated in Jersey Youth Academy in 2021.
Elizabeth was alternate New York Dairy Princess and a three-year secretary of the Belleville Henderson FFA. In 4-H, she competed in dairy quiz bowl and dairy judging, placing second in the class placings portion of the contest held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo in 2021.
She was a member of her high school softball and basketball teams and class president her senior year. She is skilled in Taekwondo and now teaches classes for younger students and coordinates belt color tests for proficiency.
Scholarships have also been presented to Elizabeth by Belleville FFA, Dairy Farmers of America, the Northern New York Community Foundation, and Union Academy.
Her long range goal is work in the agriculture industry and give back by volunteering for programs like 4-H, FFA and the Jefferson County Dairy Princess Program.
V. L. Peterson Scholarship
Emma Ruth Vos
Maribel, Wis.
Awarded to students who have completed at least one year of college work are eligible for this scholarship.
Emma Ruth Vos, Maribel, Wis., has been named winner of the $3,000 scholarship.
She is a sophomore at the UW-Madison majoring in agricultural business management with plans to earn her certificate in entrepreneurship. Though her exact career is yet to be decided, she plans to continue graduate studies in ag business and work in the agriculture industry.
A third-generation Jersey breeder, she grew up on the farm established by her grandparents and helps manage the family’s herd of 140 Registered Jerseys.
The most impactful genetics in her herd of 15 Registered Jerseys trace to a heifer her grandfather purchased for her sister and her at the Pot O’Gold Sale. She also bought another heifer from the Pot O’Gold Sale in 2021. Last year, she won the Bob Toole Youth Award and attended Jersey Youth Academy.
Emma has exhibited cattle at local, state and national shows and helped youth with non-farm backgrounds care for and show heifer calves. She won the James Crowley 4-H Leadership at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2021 and was the Manitowoc County Dairy Princess from 2020-2022.
She served her 4-H club as secretary and treasurer and has judged dairy cattle since she was nine. She was a member of the Manitowoc County team that won the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest in 2021 and represented the U.S. at the Royal Highland Show in the United Kingdom this summer.
At UW-Madison, she is secretary of the Badger Dairy Club, chairs the Ag in the Classroom and Ag-Day on Campus programs of Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau, and chairs the Breakfast on the Farm program of the Association of Women in Agriculture.
Jack C. Nisbet Memorial Scholarship
Jessica Haley Hewitt
Molalla, Ore.
This scholarship is presented to an eligible candidate in the 2021 National Youth Achievement Contest.
Jessica Haley Hewitt, Molalla, Ore., has been named winner of this $2,750 scholarship.
The college freshman is enrolled in the pre-veterinary medicine program at South Dakota State University (SDSU) and working towards an undergraduate degree in animal science. She plans to become a large animal veterinarian, sparked by years of doctoring and caring for animals with her mother. Her goal is to help future generations of Jersey breeders achieve their life goals and care for the ladies who keep the farms running, the Jersey cow herself.
She has raised and showed cattle since she was three. Her heifers are housed on her home farm and then at a neighboring farm after they calve.
Jessica was a member of the most recent class of Jersey Youth Academy, attended festivities of the All American Jersey Show in 2021, and participated in the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings hosted by her home state this summer.
She is the reigning Oregon Jersey Queen and active with the Clackamas County Dairy Princess program. Among her passions are advocating for the dairy industry classroom visits, interviews, and public demonstrations.
Jessica has served FFA as reporter and secretary and advanced parliamentary procedure chair twice.
In high school, she was a four-year captain of the varsity softball team and played for several other softball teams over the past eight years. member of National Honor Society.
Jessica has also earned scholarships to fund her studies from the Canby Rodeo Association, Clackamas County Dairy Women, Foothills Community Church, Oregon Dairy Women and SDSU.
AJCA Directors’ Scholarship
Maria Joy Poock
Booneville, Mo.
This scholarship is awarded to a student (undergraduate or graduate) based on academic performance, activities and accomplishments with Jersey cattle and commitment to continued involvement in the Jersey dairy business.
Maria Joy Poock, Boonville, Mo., is the recipient of the $2,500 AJCA Director’s Scholarship.
She is a senior at the College of the Ozark working towards a degree in animal science and has also earned college credits at State Fair Community College and the University of Missouri.
In 2014, she got her first Jersey, a heifer calf named “Blue Bird.” Her herd of 17 is raised as heifers on three acres behind her house and at Kloppe Dairy Farm in New Haven, Mo., after calving. She genotypes all animals and breeds for polled and homozygous A2.
Among her passions is advocating for dairy. She has been a spokesperson at the milking parlor at the Missouri State Fair and the Fuel Up to Play 60 event held at the Kansas City Chief’s stadium. Through these activities, she was asked to join the inaugural dairy ambassadors program sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Association.
Maria was a member of Class VI of Jersey Youth Academy She is the Missouri Jersey Queen and was crowned second alternate in the 2021 National Jersey Queen Contest. She is a winner of the 2022 Fred Stout Experience and chose an on-farm experience working at Marcoot Jersey Creamery in Greenville, Ill. She has extensive experience working on other dairies too.
While in 4-H, she has been elected president and secretary of her local club. She co-founded Get AgEd Day, an agricultural event for her community, and helped to develop Mini Me to mentor youth 11-13 through 4-H teen council. Maria has been a counselor for 4-H Dairy Cow Camp for five years and continues to volunteer for 4-H in college.
Cedarcrest Farms Scholarship
Addison Anne Raber
Gridley, Ill.
This award is for an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a program to earn a degree in large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product marketing. Through completed coursework and a goal statement, the student must demonstrate significant progress towards the degree and clear intent for a career in agriculture.
Addison Anne Raber, Gridley, Ill., has been chosen winner of the $2,250 Cedarcrest Farms Scholarship.
She is a junior at Oklahoma State University with a dual major in agricultural communications and animal science.
Her journey with Jerseys began on Christmas Day 2015, when her mother purchased a calf for her and her brother, Jacob. The duo purchased another foundation animal as well. The siblings have earned many awards in the show ring with members of these cow families, including RBR-FRM Fizz I Fancy, 2021 Reserve Junior All American Summer Yearling.
Addison has proven to have a eye for good cattle as well. She was on the team that represented the state in the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest and the Kaskaskia College team that topped the post-secondary dairy judging contest held during World Dairy Expo.
While in FFA, she and Jacob competed on the team that placed second in dairy judging at the national level. She was a member of the agricultural communications team too, earning laurels as high individual video creator and media photo finalist. Photos submitted to a contest at the Women in Ag Conference in 2018 were chosen overall and people’s choice winners.
Addison was crowned Illinois Jersey Queen. She was a member of Class VI of Jersey Youth Academy and attended the 2022 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings through the enhanced Academy experience.
Paul Jackson Scholarship
Ali Nicole Bowman
Glencoe, Okla.
This scholarship is available to students who have completed at least one year of college work. It has been awarded since 1965 to honor Paul Jackson’s service to the Jersey breed.
Ali Nicole Bowman, Glencoe, Okla., will receive this year’s scholarship of $2,000.
She is a junior at Oklahoma State University (OSU) majoring in animal science with a livestock merchandising focus, which concentrates on finances and communications.
Her parents established Okie-Bow Dairy in 2011 and have been milking all Jerseys since 2014. Ali launched her herd at the age of nine with the purchase of a Jersey heifer calf, EX Monica of Starstruck, from Dean Dohle, Half Way, Mo. Today, every member of her 18-animal herd traces to that heifer. She continues to work with Jerseys at the Ferguson Family Dairy Center, the dairy research unit at OSU.
Though she has shown cattle for many years at local, state and national levels, she shifted her focus to leadership. She was president of the Oklahoma Junior Jersey Cattle Association for three years and was an officer for Stillwater FFA. She now presides over the OSU Dairy Science Club. She also helps the club operate the Feed Store at the Southern National and recruit new members. This year, the club was named Best Student Organization for its homecoming week activities.
Ali attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2021 and has also been the Oklahoma Jersey Queen. She recently attended the 2022 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in Portland, Ore., through the enhanced Academy experience.
Her career aspirations include work that will serve the dairy industry, particularly Jerseys. She is inspired through national Jersey youth activities and activities of the dairy check-off program.
Bob Toole Youth Award
Hartley Lin Silva
Modesto, Calif.
The Bob Toole Youth Award is designated for a high school graduate to fund either college expenses or a clearly defined practical educational experience related to breeding, developing, and showing Registered Jerseys.
Hartley Lin Silva, Modesto, Calif., will receive this $1,250 scholarship.
The college sophomore is working on an associate degree in dairy science at Modesto Junior College. She plans to continue her studies at Cornell, Iowa State University or Oklahoma State University.
Though she grew up with Holsteins and began competing in pee-wee showmanship with the black and whites, she begged for something different. She was given her first Jersey calf at the age of six. Hartley put her heart into caring for a daughter of this animal and training her for the show ring. Together, they won multiple showmanship awards.
She attended Class VII of Jersey Youth Academy and has served the California Junior Jersey Cattle Association as president, secretary, and reporter. She was crowned California Jersey Queen in 2020 and 2021 and placed among the top five in the national queen contest last fall.
She was active in FFA as well, serving Modesto FFA as vice president, historian and sentinel and the Stanislaus/Tuolumne Section FFA as treasurer. She was named a national winner for her dairy production entrepreneurship project in 2021. Hartley is a former secretary and vice president for Stanislaus County Hi 4-H Club.
Hartley has taken an interest in agriculture sustainability. She was included in a video produced by Dairy Cares on dairy’s next generation, aired during the California Dairy Sustainability Summit. She has also been interviewed for the On the Farm podcast. Her career goals are to help dairy producers improve sustainability through genetics.
Anne E. Perchard Challenge Award
Sophie Joy Leach
Linwood, Kan.
This scholarship recognizes accomplishments, abilities, and leadership potential and challenges the recipient to achieve full potential through continued Jersey activities.
Sophie Joy Leach, Linwood, Kan., will receive the $350 award.
She is a freshman at Kaskaskia Community College majoring in ag business and dairy science.
A fifth-generation farmer, Sophie helps her family operate Lin-Crest Farm. As an infant, she watched her parents and sisters do chores from her baby carrier. She began doing chores on her own at eight, initially as a calf feeder. Eventually, she was grown enough to show and it didn’t take long for her to fall in love with the pastime.
She is a familiar face in Jersey show circles having exhibited the reigning Junior National Grand Champion, Ho-Crawf Andreas Joplin, and winning the Premier Exhibitor banner of the 2021 All American Junior Jersey Show. A cow owned with her sisters, LC Success Abilene, was named Junior National Grand Champion in 2020.
Sophie has been vice president, secretary and treasurer of the Glenwood 4-H Club and worked on a well-rounded group of projects that included sewing, photography, food and nutrition, and dairy. She was active with the community service group that helped younger members with projects and organized community service projects.
At Basehor-Linwood High School, she was involved with National Honor Society and Carecats, a homework help program for elementary and middle school students. She also competed on the school’s powerlifting team.
Though she has not nailed down a specific career path, Sophie plans to continue learning about dairy and business and hone broader life skills. She will always advocate for agriculture by teaching consumers about the farming and dairy industries.
Awards for 2023-2024
Applications for 2023-2024 Jersey youth scholarships will be accepted from April 1 through July 1, 2023, and forms will be available closer to the deadline on the USJersey website.
For more information, contact Kim Billman, AJCA Director of Communications, at 6486 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, kbillman@usjersey.com, or 614/322-4451.
