Kansas City, Mo., June 19, 2017 – AgriBank and Agriculture Future of America (AFA) have selected Emily Lewis and Madison Mitchell for a unique scholarship program.
The William J. Collins Scholarship is part of the AFA Leader and Academic Scholarship program. It gives children of Farm Credit employees within the AgriBank District planning to pursue agricultural careers access to premier personal and professional development and financial assistance for their college education. This year’s two outstanding students are pursuing agriculture-related, four-year degrees and are passionate about the future of the agriculture industry.
Lewis, of Columbia, Tenn., will begin her studies this fall in animal science at the University of Tennessee at Martin. After completing her degree, she hopes to go onto veterinary school and pursue a career as a veterinarian pathologist or surgeon. Mitchell, of Mahomet, Ill., will be a freshman this fall studying agricultural economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She plans to continue her education with a master’s degree as she pursues a career in agribusiness.
With a commitment to investing in each scholars’ leadership development, the scholarship program also includes sponsorship to AFA Leaders Conference. The conference is AFA’s key leader development event, providing soft-skill training and connecting students with their peers and industry professionals.
AFA will welcome more than 800 students from across the nation to Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 2-5 for the 2017 AFA Leaders Conference. College students pursuing careers in agriculture and food may apply for the conference until Sept. 11. For more information about the conference, visit www.agfuture.org/conference.
WILLIAM J. COLLINS SCHOLARS
Emily Lewis, University of Tennessee at Martin
Madison Mitchell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ABOUT AFA
AFA builds bridges for young leaders to foster engagement and innovation in food and agriculture. With program participation increasing 61 percent in the last five years, AFA leader development programs have impacted 15,000 college leaders and young professionals from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout 43 states since its inception in 1996. AFA has awarded more than $9 million in academic and leader development scholarships. For more information about AFA, visit www.agfuture.org or contact Megan Karlin at megan.karlin@agfuture.org.
ABOUT AGRIBANK
AgriBank is one of the largest banks within the national Farm Credit System, with over $100 billion in total assets. Under the Farm Credit System’s cooperative structure, AgriBank is primarily owned by 17 affiliated Farm Credit Associations. The AgriBank District covers America’s Midwest, a 15-state area stretching from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. With about half of the nation’s cropland located in the AgriBank District and over 100 years of experience, the Bank and its Association owners have significant expertise in providing financial products and services for rural communities and agriculture. For more information, please visit www.AgriBank.com.