AFA Scholarship Applications DUE March 10th
Since 2000, the McPherson Chamber of Commerce’s Agriculture Committee has invested $43,000 in the education of 17 McPherson County students who have chosen to pursue agriculture related areas of study. The $2,500 scholarship that is awarded each year is then matched from the Agriculture Future of America Scholarship Foundation.
More than any industry today, agriculture is facing an incredible challenge to find future leaders. Agriculture Future of America (AFA) is stepping up to this challenge by partnering with individuals, businesses as the McPherson Chamber of Commerce to encourage men and women to attend college and pursue an education in agriculture and food sciences.
“We are proud of our partnership with AFA and being able to provide an annual scholarship by the support we get from individuals as well as proceeds from the When Pigs Fly BBQ Contest & Fly In”, states Jennifer Burch, Executive Director of the McPherson Chamber of Commerce. “The When Pigs Fly BBQ Contest & Fly In event is the primary resource for the funding of the funds raised to support the scholarship fund. “ Students majoring in traditional agriculture programs as well as non-traditional agriculture programs are eligible”, added Burch. “Some agricultural areas that are often overlooked in their link to agriculture include food sciences, bio-sciences, landscape architecture, horticulture, natural resources, golf course superintendent, plant processing engineer,/manager, producer, biochemist, cartographer (GPS mapping), park ranger, wildlife biologist; growing areas include: bio technology, science and research (animal and plant). Just about any career you can think of can have an agricultural application.”
Applications are available at the McPherson Chamber of Commerce, 306 N. Main, click here for a printable 2013 AFA Scholarship Application. AFA Scholarship Applications must be completed by March 10 and turned in to the Chamber Office. Applications are also available at all the McPherson County High Schools.
If you prefer to fill out the application on line, this direct link is available with a fillable form. Please note before beginning, you will be asked to write a 300-500 word essay on your personal vision for agriculture and how you plan to contribute through your chosen career in the agriculture and food industry. We encourage you to draft this essay in a separate word processing program and then copy/paste it into the application, as you cannot save your work in this form and the system may time out before you are finished composing your essay. Please note that your application is not complete until you continue through the last page of the application and receive an email confirmation.
For further questions, please contact the McPherson Chamber of Commerce at 620-241-3303.