LSU Les Voyageurs Named Top Club in 2024 by Animal Agriculture Alliance

For the third consecutive year, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Les Voyageurs club earned the top prize in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. During the nine-week program, club members host 10 College Aggies events to inform students and community members about agriculture.

“We want to be able to educate everyone, whether they come into our major or not, to make sure they have a well-rounded understanding of agriculture,” says Raegan West, the club’s vice president and a junior majoring in natural resource ecology and management with a concentration in wildlife ecology.

How It Works

In 2009, the Animal Agriculture Alliance launched the CAO scholarship program. The program is designed to give students the resources and training to become confident and effective communicators on behalf of those involved in animal agriculture.

Clubs and individuals host events and share creative posts online throughout the nine-week program. Participants earn points for each activity, and $100 scholarships are awarded weekly. At the end of the program, the top five students and the top three clubs with the most points receive larger scholarship awards.

The Top Award

As the top-placing team in 2024, the Les Voyageurs received a $2,000 award. In addition to funding off-campus community outreach projects, such as last year’s partnership with a local animal shelter, the club uses the award money to recruit prospective students and onboard first-year members. Club members also attend recruitment events and student orientations, and present to classmates in other departments. 

“When I was looking at LSU, I had tunnel vision, thinking vet school was the only way I could work with animals,” West says. “This club opened my eyes to how many more opportunities there are. As an organization, we work to provide a holistic view of the agriculture industry, so students are able to recognize all the opportunities they have. We even interact with students outside the senior college to educate them on the industry in general.”

Get Ready to Apply

The College Aggies Online scholarship program takes place each fall semester. The 2025 program kicks off on Monday, Sept. 8. Registration is open now at animalagalliance.org.