The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture awarded 29 scholarships totaling $58,500 to students across the state for the 2018-2019 academic year. The scholarships will help the students pursue degrees related to agriculture, forestry and natural resources or family and consumer sciences. The scholarships recognize outstanding students who have excelled academically and exhibited a committed interest to pursuing a career in one of those fields.

The recipients are graduating high school seniors headed to college or a technical college, rising college juniors and seniors or students enrolled in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine who plan to care for livestock and other farm animals.

“One of our key functions at Georgia Farm Bureau is to develop leaders for the future of our organization and agriculture in general,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “Part of that is helping deserving students offset the cost of their education, so we’re proud to offer these scholarships, and we can’t wait to see what these young people achieve.”

Five students preparing to enter college as freshmen at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and Emmanuel College were selected for the Scholarship for Agriculture at $3,000 each: Jacob Cliett, Bulloch County; Tucker Felkins, Bleckley County; Cason Howard, Charlton County; Kathryn Santos, Mitchell County, and Hannah Watkins, Stephens County. These students plan to pursue degrees in animal science, ag communications, poultry science, biology and agribusiness.

An additional 10 students were selected for the Scholarship for Agriculture at $1,500 each: Christa Anderson, Franklin County; Laurabeth Bland, Bulloch County; Brittany Braddy, Montgomery County; Guerin Brown, Greene County; Courtney Conine, Mitchell County; Ivy English, Butts County; Miller Hayes, Decatur County; Tyler Hortman, Taylor County; Emily Leonard, Echols County and Hamp Thomas, Chattooga County. These students plan to attend UGA CAES or ABAC to pursue degrees in ag education, animal science, biological sciences and biotechnology.

Parker Sheridan of Banks County was selected to receive the Technical College Scholarship for Agriculture of $1,000. Sheridan plans to attend Lanier Technical College to study forest technology and horticultural science.

The foundation awarded 10 scholarships of $2,000 to the following rising college juniors and seniors: Savannah Austin, Butts County; Scarlett Barber, Jones County; Lucas Brock, Carroll County; Ben Hancock, Irwin County; McKenzie Lewis, Tift County; Peyton Mattox, Oglethorpe County; Jay Moon, Morgan County; Cassie Powell, Johnson County; Morgan Rowan, Lowndes County and Caroline Waldrep, Monroe County. All are students at ABAC, UGA CAES or Emmanuel College studying agribusiness, ag education, agriscience, forestry or animal science.

Morgan Adkins of Clarke County, Brooke Helton of White County and Erik Ragan of Catoosa County were chosen to receive scholarships of $2,500 each as they study to become food animal veterinarians at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine.