The dairy checkoff has awarded 12 academic scholarships to students pursuing degrees with a focus on dairy and demonstrating strong potential as future industry leaders.
The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through Dairy Management Inc. – which manages the national dairy checkoff – annually awards $2,500 scholarships to 11 students. In addition, the NDB awards a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient.
Eligible majors include journalism, communications/public relations, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science and agricultural education. Criteria include academic achievement, career interest in a dairy-related discipline and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity.
Sienna Mahaffy, a student at Oklahoma State University majoring in business administration, has been named the 2026-2027 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Students earning $2,500 scholarships are: Trell Amoss (Oklahoma State University), Cassie Bohnert (Iowa State University), Campbell Booth (University of Minnesota), Eliza Dugan (West Texas A&M University), Sara Kennedy (Pennsylvania State University), Keegan Medeiros (California State University, Monterey Bay), Nicholas Needham (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Ella Raatz (University of Minnesota), Elle Ruffner (Iowa State University), Taylor Thigpen (University of Notre Dame) and Kelsey Timp (Iowa State University). Click here to see all the winners.
