To be eligible, students must be in their first, second or third year of study at a 2 or 4-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada majoring in a field that will allow them to develop the skills needed to pursue a career in the dairy industry. Winners demonstrate an affinity for leadership, participation in extracurricular activities and a special interest and ability in showing dairy cattle in their best natural form.

Klussendorf Scholarship

The Klussendorf Scholarship is representative of the late, legendary showman and dairy cattle fitter Arthur B. Klussendorf. The association honors those who most nearly exemplify his character and ethics.

Three students will each receive $1,500 scholarships. Abby Foss from Cambridge, Minnesota Is a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Abby raises Brown Swiss heifers on her family farm and leases them out to 4-H members who would like to experience showing a heifer. Over her 4-H career she mentored 15 kids from four different counties through her leasing program.

Another Klussendorf scholarship winner is Gracelyn Krahn from Albany, Oregon, a freshman at Linn-Benton Community College. Throughout high school Gracelyn was heavily involved in her family’s dairy herd and on-farm processing operation. She helps with daily management of the herd, in addition to coordinating all activities of their show herd including marketing, managing IVF processes and organizing sale consignments.

A third Klussendorf scholarship winner is Mackenzie Ullmer from Seymour, Wisconsin. Mackenzie is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Mackenzie takes an active role in her family’s operation, Ullmstar Dairy, where they milk 80 registered Holsteins and Ayrshires. Through her activities in and out of the show ring, Mackenzie was the first to be recognized as Outstanding Junior by the Wisconsin Ayrshire Breeders’ Association.

McKown Scholarship

Friends and family of the late Robert “Whitey” McKown established the McKown scholarship to honor the 1992 Honorary Klussendorf recipient and long-time Holstein enthusiast. Four students will receive $1,500 scholarships in 2021.

One of those recipients is Caitlyn Cox from Carthage, Indiana, a second-year student at Purdue University. In addition to showing at local, state and national shows, Caitlyn has been a leader in the Indiana Junior Holstein Association, in her local 4-H and FFA chapters and on the Purdue campus as well.

Hayley Fernandes from Tulare, California is another McKown Scholarship recipient, a junior at Cal Poly. Hayley is active showing animals from her family’s herd of Holsteins and Jerseys, and has participated in dairy cattle and dairy products judging contests. She takes active leadership roles as well, serving as president and vice president of the California Junior Holstein Association and on the National Holstein Association Junior Advisory Committee.

A third recipient of the McKown Scholarship is Carly Strauss from Lake Mills, Wisconsin who is a sophomore at Iowa State University. She credits the work she has done on her family’s fifth-generation dairy farm with fueling her passion to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Carly has also been active showing animals at state and national shows, including mentoring young would-be exhibitors.

Also receiving a McKown Scholarship is Bryce Windecker from Schuyler, New York. A junior at Cornell University, Bryce is actively involved in his family’s 100-cow registered Holstein organic dairy. Prior to attending Cornell, Bryce was active on the judging team at SUNY-Cobleskill where he was top individual among post-secondary school participants. In addition to judging awards, he highlights a junior all-American nomination for his bred-and-owned five year old cow.

For more information about the students being recognized by National Dairy Shrine, or to obtain tickets for the Awards Banquet, contact the NDS office at info@dairyshrine.org. Additional information on National Dairy Shrine membership and its many activities is available at www.dairyshrine.org. Dairy enthusiasts are encouraged to become part of this respected dairy organization whose mission since 1949 has been to inspire future dairy leaders, honor current and past dairy leaders, and preserve the history of the dairy industry.