MADISON — Five young women have been selected for a scholarship from the John T. Lyle Memorial Trust Fund for the 2020-2021 school year. The scholarships are awarded annually to Dane County students who have a career goal in agriculture or a related field, exhibit a strong sense of community volunteerism and service, maintain high grades, and participate in 4-H or FFA.
$3,000 – Eliza Endres is a 2020 graduate of Waunakee Community High School and plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall to major in Ag Business Management. In addition to a career in Ag business, Eliza plans on using the knowledge she gains to benefit farmers in her community and Dane Country has a whole. She shared, “When it comes to benefiting farmers, I would like to add new ideas to make it so they are able to run their farms more efficiently. Whether it’s managing their finances or navigating the difficult economic climate, I want to make it easier for farmers to be able to spend more time on farming and less time on managing their business.”
$2,500 – Bryanna Hunsicker, a 2019 graduate of Sun Prairie High School, will begin her second year at University of Wisconsin-River Falls soon where she is majoring in equine science. Bryanna is on the Pre-Veterinary Medicine track and plans on attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison for Veterinary School. Bryanna stated in her application, “Staying active in my community has always been important to me and I plan to stay within Dane County for my career. I believe that I will be able to help Dane County by becoming a Veterinarian as I can help animals in my community stay happy and healthy. I also plan on staying active in 4-H as an adult leader in Dane County.”
$2,500 – Ashlyn Sarbacker graduated from Stoughton High School in 2020 and will attend the University of Wisconsin – Platteville in the fall where she plans to major in Dairy Science. Ashlyn shared in her application, “I see myself continuing to educate and share my passion for agriculture through a career in the dairy industry and will remain an enthusiastic volunteer promoting Dane County agriculture to the ever changing and diverse resident base in my home county.”
$2000 – Molly Olstad is a 2020 graduate of Stoughton High School and plans to attend her dream school – the University of Wisconsin-Madison and pursue a career in agriculture. In her application Molly stated, “I have lived in Dane county my whole life and fell in love with the city of Madison. We are also America’s Dairyland here in Wisconsin. One day, I strive to help promote the Dairy Industry specifically in Dane County so it can grow and prosper– and help make a difference by learning more about the dairy industry.”
$2000 – Montana Sarbacker, a 2019 graduate of Verona High School, is a current student at Madison College. She plans to obtain a degree in Agriculture Business with a minor in Communications and Marketing. Montana shared, “I plan to help develop and grow my family’s show heifer boarding business. Additionally, I hope to become a 4-H leader to help assist youth with their projects and instill a passion for the agriculture industry amongst youth, just as I had the opportunity to gain from the 4-H community.”
The John T. Lyle scholarship program is administered by Dane County Extension. The UW-Extension Committee of the Dane County Board of Supervisors awards the scholarships each year. The number and amount of scholarship awards vary each year, depending on the number of applications received and the amount of funds available for distribution.
Dane County Extension is a partnership between Dane County and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension working together to help people put knowledge to work. It reflects the vision that has become known as The Wisconsin Idea. This partnership brings education to people where they live, and supports educational programs for farmers, businesses, communities, families and young people throughout Dane County.
For further information, contact Sandy Jensen at 608/224-3707
— University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Dane County
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