Sarah Irwin among Illinois Agri-Women 2019 scholarship winners

 

[July 10, 2019]    Sarah Marie Irwin of Beason is the winner of the 2019 Illinois Agri-Women Agricultural Education Scholarship. This $1,500 scholarship is awarded annually to an agriculture education major finishing their degree in the upcoming year. Irwin will be a senior in Agricultural Education this fall at Illinois State University. She attended Lincoln Community High School.

In her winning essay, Irwin said, “Agriculture education, to me, is so much more than teaching students about plants and animals; it is allowing students to make connections between what they already know and how they can apply It to the field of agriculture. I want to educate students because they are the future of agriculture. Students who understand where their food and clothing come from will be the ones who help make the entire United States a better place. With the small act of education, students can grow up to change the world.”

The Women Changing the Face of Agriculture (WCFA) conference, a project of the Illinois Agri-Women, takes place each spring to encourage young women to interact with women in agriculture, learn more about careers in the industry, and network with agricultural leaders from across the country. This year, four “WCFA Agent of Change” $1,000 scholarships are awarded to college students who aspire to make a difference through their careers in the agricultural industry.

Additional 2019 recipients are as follows:

Makenna Jaelynne Green, daughter of Justin and Monica Green of Arthur, will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Green attended Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond High School and plans to study Agriculture at Lake Land Community College.

“Overall the “Women Changing the Face of Agriculture” is a very beneficial conference which inspires high school girls looking to go into agriculture and related fields and truly makes a difference in their lives”, Green said. “Meeting and learning from influential women is awe-inspiring and I am grateful I was able to partake.”

Haley Lee Blankenship of Decatur will also receive a $1,000 scholarship. She is the daughter of Lora Wright and Rodney Blankenship. She attended Eisenhower High School and will study Agronomy at Richland Community College.

“Attending Women Changing the Face of Agriculture influenced me to not be intimidated about pursuing a career in agriculture,” Blankenship said. “Attending all of the mini ten-minute sessions and hearing from multiple companies made me see not only how many opportunities there are in the agriculture field but hearing it from a woman made me see that we do have a place in agriculture. It gave me hope that I will find a career and be successful as a woman in agriculture.”

Corrine Elise Harding of Trivoli will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Her parents are Darren and Julie Harding. Harding is a graduate of Farmington Central High School and plans to study Agricultural Leadership Education with a minor in Food and Agri-Business Management. Her college career has begun at Illinois Central College, followed by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“As a career, I want to educate the public about the agriculture industry and help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers to build mutual respect for this industry,” Harding said. Regarding WCFA she indicated, “After attending the conference, I walked out excited about the future of agriculture. It was inspiring to know that this conference can help young women start their paths toward the future.”

Megan Nicole Coy of Champaign will also receive a $1,000 scholarship. Her parents are Tim and Kim Coy. Coy is a graduate of Sullivan High School and the University of Illinois. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Agriculture Education at the University of Illinois.

“Women Changing the Face of Agriculture conference has provided the opportunity for me to continue pursuing my career in agriculture education by allowing me to meet a wide variety of other professionals in the agricultural industry,” Coy said. “With my career in agricultural education and my job on the Facilitation Coordination in Agriculture Education (FCAE) team, working to educate people about the opportunities within agriculture is paramount to our success and being a part of the WCFA event has allowed for continued growth in this extremely important area of need.”

For more information about Illinois Agri-Women scholarships and opportunities, visit illinoisagriwomen.org.  To learn more about the 2020 Women Changing the Face of Agriculture conference, visit womenchangingthefaceofagriculture.com.

[Lynn Curry]