World Ag Expo and E.M. Tharp, Inc. have teamed up for the seventh year to provide the "We Believe in Growing" scholarship which supports local high school students who will be attending four-year universities to major in an agricultural field.

This year's winners:
Montanna Tarkington of Tulare and Summer Shannon of Terra Bella, will each receive $2,500 scholarships to be renewed up to four years, totaling $10,000 per student.

"We at EM Tharp, Inc. are proud to be a part of a scholarship program that gives back to agricultural students in our Valley communities," said Vester East, E.M. Tharp, Inc. "We strive to help bring the opportunities to our students so that they in turn can make an impact in our Valley." Montanna Tarkington, a student at Tulare Union High School, plans to study agriculture business with an emphasis on ag marketing at Fresno State in the fall of this year. She has participated in several FFA judging teams, including commodity judging and speaking competitions. "My interests are strongly fueled by agriculture," said scholarship winner, Montanna Tarkington. "I enjoy learning about all areas of the agricultural realm, but crop and animal sciences are my main focal point of interest."

Summer Shannon, a student at Porterville High School, plans to study agriculture communications. She is considering attending Cal Poly, Oregon, Oklahoma, Chico, or Utah State Universities. She has raised steers and heifers for local livestock shows and is a member of the Porterville FFA chapter. "The opportunities I've had to take diverse coursework while in high school helped shape and refine my academic and career goals," said scholarship winner, Summer Shannon. "While taking a variety of agricultural classes, I found my passion for agriculture education."

To be considered for the scholarship, students from across the Central Valley submitted letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, ACT or SAT scores and must be graduating from high school during the 2012-2013 school year. The winners will be recognized at World Ag Expo's media day on Monday, February 11, 2013.

02.06.2013