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.
Rachel Visser, a student at the University of Minnesota double majoring in Agricultural and Food Business Management and Agricultural Communications and Marketing, has been named the 2025–2026 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Students earning $2,500 scholarships are: Cassie Bohnert (Iowa State University), Shelby Butler (University of Kentucky), Sara Kennedy (Pennsylvania State University), Katie Ketchum (University of Wisconsin-River Falls), Clancey Krahn (Oklahoma State University), Sienna Mahaffy (Oklahoma State University), Ava Mitchell (Michigan State University), Emma Parrigon (Ozarks Technical Community College), Chloe Rogers (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo), Iris Schilderink (Texas Tech University) and Jessemy Sharp (South Dakota State University).
For information about how the dairy checkoff is driving sales and building trust, visit www.dairycheckoff.com.
