Students Awarded Pork Industry Scholarships
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 11, 2022 — The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today awarded scholarships to 10 college students who intend to pursue careers in the U.S. pork industry. The Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship program is sponsored by CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation and managed and administered by NPPC. The award was announced at NPPC’s annual business meeting — the National Pork Industry Forum — held here.
The 2022 winners of the $2,500 scholarships are:
- Andrew Boschert, Iowa State University
- Grace Christensen, Iowa State University
- Grace Greiner, Iowa State University
- Leah Greiner, Iowa State University
- Andrea Jenkins, Pennsylvania State University
- Avery Mather, Iowa State University
- Abigail Ross, Iowa State University
- Jackson Sterle, Iowa State University
- Beth Stevermer, Iowa State University
- Isaac Wiley, Iowa State University
The scholarship program was introduced in 1990 by CME Group and NPPC, and the award was renamed in 2006 to honor the passing of Lois Britt, NPPC board director. A lifetime supporter of agriculture, Britt spent 34 years with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and finished her career after 15 years with Murphy-Brown LLC (now Smithfield) doing public and government relations. She was inducted into the NPPC Pork Industry Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Pork Council Hall of Fame and was awarded the North Carolina 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award, among many other achievements.
In 2017, the National Pork Industry Foundation, a nonprofit organization administered by NPPC, joined this effort as a sponsor of the Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship, increasing the number of scholarships presented from five to 10.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be undergraduates in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture program, provide a brief letter describing their expected role in the pork industry, write an essay on an issue affecting the pork industry, and submit two letters of reference from professors or industry professionals. “These outstanding young people are the future of the U.S. pork industry,” said outgoing NPPC President Jen Sorenson, who also is communications director for Iowa Select Farms. “They are the next generation of industry leaders, and NPPC and CME Group are pleased to recognize their commitment to the pork industry with these scholarships.”
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NPPC is the global voice for the U.S. pork industry, protecting the livelihoods of America’s 60,000 pork producers, who abide by ethical principles in caring for their animals, in protecting the environment and public health and in providing safe, wholesome, nutritious pork products to consumers worldwide. For more information, visit www.nppc.org.