COLUMBIA CO., N.Y. — Seven residents of Columbia and Greene counties have been selected as recipients of the Paul and Maria Morra Scholarship Trust Awards presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties. They will share in the available $7,500 for awards. They were chosen on the merit of their applications which described the breadth of their involvement in work, community programs, volunteer activities and awards. They also provided a personal essay describing their plans for the future and the experiences that influenced their decision to pursue a career in the field of horticulture, agriculture, forestry or natural resources.
Zaia Ivan, a graduating senior at Greenville High School, will be attending SUNY-ESF this fall. She is receiving a $1,500 scholarship. In Zaia’s essay she ended with the following, “Each of us strives to find that one thing that makes us truly happy, that we are passionate about. The thing that lights a fire in our heart, and makes us want to be the best that we can be. In forestry I have found not only my passion, but also a niche where I truly belong.”
Megan Gilligan is a graduating senior at Chatham High School. She will be attending SUNY Cobleskill this fall to pursue a degree in animal science. In her essay, Megan shared that her career path found direction last summer, when she completed a 52 hour internship at Dutch Hollow Farm. She shared, “I am never happier than when I am working surrounded by newborn calves…I am excited to learn about all the new farming technology and the research that goes into it”. She is receiving a $1,500 scholarship.
Grace Howard is a graduating senior at Taconic Hills High School. She will be attending Skidmore Colle pursuing a degree in environmental studies. She is receiving a $1,500 scholarship. Grace noted in her essay that, “by conducting preliminary research in the area of freshwater ecology in high school, I supported the goals of improving water quality, restoring habitat, and conducting strong science in my school community. I want to continue to promote these goals through a career in Environmental Policy….”
Nicole Kernan is a graduating senior at Taconic Hills High School. She will be attending SUNY Delhi to pursue a degree in independent studies. She is receiving a $1,000 scholarship. In her essay Nicole explained that “being a veterinary technician I can work with all the animals I know the most about, which are large breed and farm animals such as cows, horses, sheep and pigs, and I can also work with small animal breeds like cats and dogs”.
Alice Brennan is a graduating senior at Greenville High School. She will be attending SUNY – Oneonta where she will be studying meteorology. She is receiving an award of $1,000. This is a gal who is totally all about weather – she shared in her essay that in 8th grade she was fascinated by plate tectonics, ocean tides and winds and that by the time she entered high school she had eight weather apps on her phone. She shared that, “I plan to use my passion and skills to conduct research on different storms, and possibly find better methods for predicting weather patterns and warning signals accurately.”
Alexandria Bray is a graduating senior at Taconic Hills High School. She will be attending Columbia-Greene Community College which will start her on the path to a degree that involves working and caring for animals. Alexandra is receiving a $500 scholarship. Alexandria’s passion for agriculture all stem from the stories her mother shared with her about her childhood growing up on a dairy farm.
Brandi McLeod is a graduating senior at Greenville High School. She will be attending SUNY Cobleskill pursuing a degree in animal science. She aspires to continue her education at Cornell University to receive either a MS degree in Agriculture or her Doctorate in Veterinary Science. She is receiving a $500 scholarship. Brandi’s interest in agriculture was peeked by spending a good part of her childhood at a family friend’s beef farm where she helped care for the cows.
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Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia and Greene Counties
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