Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship

Application deadline for the 2015 Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship is May 31 Application details available at www.michigan.gov/mda-mylsf

For immediate release: April 6, 2015 Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-2574 or holtonj@michigan.gov Program contact: Jeff Haarer, 517-284-5642 or haarerj@michigan.gov Lansing, MI - Since 2000, the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has awarded more than $360,000 in scholarships and educational awards to outstanding youth who have exhibited at the premier livestock events in the state of Michigan.  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 an 10-member board comprised of volunteers from Michigan’s agricultural community, with the corpus of the fund held at the Battle Creek Community Foundation. In 2014 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 2014 MYLSF $1,500 general scholarship winners were: Taylor Bolinger of Middleton, Alexandria Schut of Belding, Courtney Souva of Bronson, Cody Symons of Chesaning, and Katelyn Walters of Burr Oak.  The MYLSF $1,000 scholarships were awarded to Kylie Bates of Sebewaing and Katelynn Birch of Sherwood. The MYLSF $500 scholarships were awarded to Seth Gibson of Union City, Dylan Kennedy of Nashville, Jack Luoma of East Leroy, Kayla Mitchell of Burr Oak and Lauren Wells of Monroe. The statewide $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Kelly Raterink of Zeeland; and the $500 statewide scholarship was awarded to Alex Crimmin of Sault St. Marie. Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship can be obtained at www.michigan.gov/mda-mylsf.  Applications must be postmarked no later than May 31, 2015.  If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Haarer, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Producer Security Section Manager, at 517-284-5642 or Ernie Birchmeier, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Livestock & Dairy Specialist, at 517-323-7000. ###