The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.


Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc. (NDSA) has announced twelve

college students to receive the Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year

totaling $20,000. The NDSA Scholarship Committee awarded $2,500 scholarships to students whose

majors are related to the dairy/food industry or an agriculture program related to the dairy/food industry,

and $1,500 to students studying any major.

This year’s Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Scholarship recipients are;

• Melania Birjukow, Buffalo, NY - Niagara County Community College

• John Michael Carter, The Colony, TX - Purdue University

• Ella Destephano, Newburyport, MA - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Ian Fox, Crystal Lake, IL - University of Tampa

• Andres Haendel Gonzalez, Hockessin, DE - University of Delaware

• Tiffany Heischman, Strasburg, VA - Eastern Mennonite University

• Grayson Myers, Hamburg, NY - John Carroll University

• Stephanie Pieper, Davis, IL - University of Alabama

• Emily Roloson, Castleton, NY - University of Virginia

• Efraim Shachter, Cobleskill, NY - Cornell University

• Heidi Williams, Sinclairville, NY - SUNY Alfred

• Heather Young, Dannemora, NY - University of Florida

In April 2020, the Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association board of directors unanimously voted to

rename the scholarship the Bruce W. Krupke Memorial Scholarship. Bruce served as Executive Vice

President of Northeast Dairy Foods Association and Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association for 27 years

before passing away in March 2020. Additionally, the board approved increasing the scholarship amount

from $15,000 to $20,000 for the 2020-21 academic year.

“We received over 70 applications this year and it was a long and challenging process for the

Scholarship Committee to narrow it down based on the quality of this year’s applicants,” said Bill Elliot,

President of Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association Board of Directors. “Northeast Dairy Suppliers

Association is honored to be able to provide this scholarship to students who are pursuing their goals and

dreams. Congratulations to all of the recipients!”

“As an out of state student, finances are always very tight, and this scholarship means I can worry less about how I can afford my dream education, and focus more on making every minute count,” said John Michael Carter. Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association has been instrumental in my educational experience and this money helps me focus more on how I can get the most out of what I have.” “This scholarship puts me one step closer to graduating debt-free,” said Tiffany Heischman.By graduating debt-free, I will have the opportunity to continue my passion for agriculture and pursue a career in the agriculture industry.” Applicants must be an immediate family member of a current NDSA or Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc. member company, or a Student Member of NDSA, enrolled for the 2020-21 academic year as a full-time student with a minimum of 12 credit hours, and have a GPA of 2.50 or greater to be eligible. Scholarship information is made available each year after February 1st with applications due by June 1st and can be found on the association’s website at www.neastda.org. Funding for the scholarships come directly from the association’s annual dairy industry clambake, members’ dues supporting the association, and sponsorship of annual dairy industry events to help fund the scholarships each year. The Northeast Dairy Suppliers Association, Inc. is a full-service trade group representing vendors and supplier companies selling to and servicing dairy product processors, manufacturers and distributors in the northeast United States.