LANSING — Since 2000, the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has awarded $533,000 in scholarships and educational awards to outstanding youth who have exhibited at the premier livestock events in the state of Michigan.
In 2019, a select number of applicants may be offered an opportunity to be interviewed, at the discretion of the MYLSF, prior to the Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-Abration event for larger scholarship awards up to $5,000.
To be eligible for either the MYLSF general scholarship or the statewide scholarship, the applicant must be a resident of Michigan and a graduating high school senior or a high school graduate continuing their education at an accredited institution in the year in which they are applying.
For the general MYLSF scholarship, the applicant must be a youth exhibitor at the Michigan Livestock Expo, the Michigan Dairy Expo or the former Michigan State Fair, for a minimum of three calendar years prior to the year of application. For the statewide scholarship, an applicant must be a youth exhibitor at a local, county, or statewide exhibition for a minimum of three years prior to the year of application.
Specific proceeds from the Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-Abration auction as well as charitable donations help fund the scholarships. The fund is governed by a 10-member board comprised of volunteers from Michigan’s agricultural community. In 2018, approximately $15,000 was deposited in the Michigan Education Saving Plans for youth exhibitors that compete in judging and showmanship events at the Michigan Livestock Expo on the Michigan State University campus.
The 2018 $3,000 general scholarship winners were:
- Bradford Chapman of South Rockwood
- Caitlin Henne of Eaton Rapids
The 2018 $2,500 scholarship winner was:
- Brady Littlefield of Burr Oak
The 2018 $2,000 general scholarship winners were:
- Lydia AcMoody of Coldwater
- Kristen Burkhardt of Fowlerville
The 2018 $1,500 general scholarship winners were:
- Payton Hines of Quincy
- Alexandria Schut of Belding
- Kylie Slavik of Ashley
The 2018 $1,000 scholarships winners were:
- Morgan Bolinger of Owosso
- Jansen Mariah of Sturgis
- Morgan Louma of East Leroy
- Laken Claire Polega of Unionville
- Nathan Scoville of Laingsburg
- Renee Souva of Bronson
The 2018 $500 scholarships winners were:
- Lauren Bickel of North Branch
- Miriah Dersham of St. Johns
- Hannah Dutcher of Owosso
- Jessica Nash of Elsie
- Madalyn Stewart of Charlotte
- Abigail Walkowe of Manchester
A 2018 statewide $1,000 scholarship was awarded to McKenzie Chapman of Bellevue.
Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship can be obtained at www.michigan.gov/mda-mylsf.
— Michigan Department of Agriculture
For more news from Michigan, click here.