National Farmers Organizations’ Farm Kids for College announces top scholarship award winners

     AMES, IOWA (April 22, 2008)—National Farmers' Farm Kids for College national youth scholarship has named its top three award recipients for 2008. Three high school students earned $1,000 each; Kristen Steves, Escalon, Calif., Justin Gengler, Beloit, Kan., and Laura Mooney, Fredericktown, Mo.
     “The Farm Kids for College national judging panel selected three top farm kids to receive $1,000 scholarships each,” said Farm Kids for College Scholarship Coordinator Helene Bergren. “We're proud to help these outstanding youth pursue a college education, and a strong future in American agriculture.”
     The national scholarship competition is open to high school seniors committed to pursuing college degrees in agricultural fields. The Farm Kids for College competition is based on students' academic achievement, extracurricular activities, character and future contribution to agriculture.
     Steves is a senior at Escalon High School in Escalon, Calif. She is Central Region President of her Future Farmers of America, as well as Escalon FFA chapter president. She earned a Star Chapter Farmer Award, a FFA Chapter Degree and Star Greenhand Award. She was a member of the state champion team of the Agriscience Fair. She is student body president and is a member of the varsity football cheerleading team. She received the Daughters of the American Revolution Citizenship Award, and was a San Joaquin Fair Swine Showman in 2006. She plans to major in agricultural communications in college.
     Gengler is a senior at St. John's High School in Beloit, Kansas. He has been a member of the National Honor Society all four years of high school, and is National Honor Society president. He is basketball team captain, and participated in track, football, speech and drama, Students Against Drunk Driving and earned academic letters all four years. He earned the best actor award in 2005. Justin serves on the Beloit Youth City Council, and in Catholic Youth Organization, as 2008 president. He operates a tree-cutting business and works for a seed company when he's not working on his family's farm operation taking care of cattle and helping in the fields. Justin plans to major in agribusiness at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kan.
     Mooney is a senior at Fredericktown R-1 High School in Fredericktown, Mo. She has served all four years as FFA chapter president and area 15 vice president. She earned the State FFA Degree, Star Greenhand Award, and State Leadership Medal. She is senior class president, student council vice president and senior drum major in the FHS band. She is involved daily in agriculture, taking care of several head of beef cattle and sheep as a part of her FFA project. She markets alfalfa hay, straw, sweet corn and bulk honey each season. She plans to major in animal science and veterinary medicine at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
     The sponsor of the Farm Kids for College Scholarship Program, National Farmers, provides professional marketing and risk management services in grain, livestock and dairy commodities, as well as farm financial services for producers nationwide. “It's a natural extension of National Farmers' goals that we would help young people receive a college education and achieve their ag-related career goals,” Bergren added.