NCGA announces 11 scholarship program awardees for 2024

The National Corn Growers Association has announced the awardees for the 2024 NCGA Scholarship Programs. A committee of grower leaders selected eleven outstanding students to receive scholarships for this fall semester. NCGA is proud to continue supporting these vital programs in partnership with BASF Corporation.

“At NCGA, we are committed to securing a strong future for corn farmers through every initiative. These scholarships represent a key investment in cultivating the next generation of ag industry leaders and problem-solvers,” said Dan Nerud, Nebraska grower and chair of the NCGA Member & Consumer Engagement Action Team. “The caliber of this year’s applicants and the diversity of their skills is truly impressive. I’m eager to see how these students will contribute to shaping the industry and driving innovation that will sustain farms for generations to come.”

Graduate Student Scholarship Winners:

• Charles Tesch is a first-year M.S. student studying Plant Science at South Dakota State University, working on a strip-tillage fertility placement study in Peter Kovacs’ Precision Ag Cropping Systems Lab. This study investigates how phosphorus and potassium management strategies under different tillage systems influence corn yield components.
• Paige Madison is working toward a Master’s degree in ruminant nutrition at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her research project, titled “Impact of Constant Versus Variable Inclusions of Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles on Feedlot Cattle Performance and Carcass Characteristics,” is funded in partnership with the Nebraska Corn Board. The study aims to evaluate the effects of feeding varying amounts of distiller grains on feedlot cattle, providing valuable insights for producers, consulting nutritionists, and the ethanol industry.

Technical School Scholarship Winners:

• Joshua Gnade has been working as a welder at JTV Manufacturing for the last year and plans on going to NCC for their two-year production welding program and then to Missouri Welding Institute for their pipeline welding and fitting course.
• Kara Siemieniewski grew up actively involved in her family’s farm, where she developed a strong passion for agriculture through her work and participation in FFA. When not on the farm, she enjoys volunteering in her community. 

• Sam Wells is a sixth-generation corn grower from Central Nebraska. He plans to play golf and major in agricultural education at Iowa Western Community College, with the goal of transferring to a four-year university to complete his golf career and degree. Sam aims to inspire and educate the next generation as an ag teacher.
• Von Herron is a fourth-generation dairy farmer from Columbiana County, Ohio, where we raise polled Jersey cows and have a row crop operation. The farm produces corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa crops to be able to sustain our dairy operation. He is currently an Agricultural Systems Management major at The Ohio State University.

Undergraduate School Scholarship Winners:

• Eric Sibenaller is a junior at Iowa State University studying agricultural engineering. After graduation, he plans to move back west to work for an engineering firm and return to his hometown as a water resources or farm operations engineer. 
• Hadley Beechinor is studying agricultural economics and animal science at the University of Idaho, focusing on agricultural commodity risk management. Raised on a seven-generation farm, her passion for agriculture grew through 4-H and FFA. On campus, she holds leadership roles and participates in agricultural research. Hadley plans to intern in commodity trading, aiming for a career in risk management focused on grain and livestock production.

• Harrison Blay is from northeast Ohio and was an active 4-H member for 11 years, where he raised market steers and heifers. Blay is now a sophomore at Ohio State University, majoring in animal biosciences, and plans to attend vet school. 
• Lainey DeVriesa is a first-year agricultural business major at Iowa State University. She grew up in Red Oak, Iowa, on her family’s farm, raising hogs, cattle, corn, and soybeans. She aims for a career in agribusiness, advocating for agriculture and helping producers build a better future.
• Sydney Wellsandt is a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She majors in Animal Science and minors in Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship. She aims to work in Nebraska’s beef industry.