Achilles Awarded the 2022 AFA Scholarship
Ashley Achilles, a junior at Fort Hays State University, has been awarded the 2022 Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Scholarship for McPherson County! This scholarship is made possible by the McPherson Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee in partnership with Agriculture Future of America. The Agriculture Committee has raised funds to support the AFA Leader and Academic Scholarship for McPherson County since 2000. Along with establishing an AFA scholarship fund at the McPherson County Community Foundation, the Ag Committee has awarded 33 full scholarships to date.
Achilles will receive a $3,200 academic scholarship to be used for tuition, fees, and books, in addition to her tuition to the AFA Leadership Conference on November 10-13th, 2022 in Kansas City, MO. The Leadership Conference is attended by hundreds of top agriculture students from across the nation. After being notified of the scholarship, Ashely replied “I am honored to receive this scholarship and excited for the opportunity to attend the conference!”
Although farming and ranching is a newly discovered passion for Ashley, she has gained valuable experience alongside her current employer whom she admires for his patience, education advocacy and his attitude of learning. The importance of continual learning is evident in her comment “there is so much research going into agriculture every day and a farmer is ultimately losing potential profit if they don’t keep up to date on advancements in the industry.”
Congratulations Ashley! May you stay true to your attitude of turning mistakes into opportunities for growth, and always know that you are very capable.
Ashley is a great example of why the McPherson Chamber Agriculture Committee continues to partner with AFA to build transformation leaders in agriculture. More information about AFA can be found at www.agfuture.com.