IL Corn Announces Scholarship Recipients

Ava Splear

Waterman, IL

"Majoring in agriculture is important to me because I grew up around it. This upbringing instilled many values in me including the value of hard work, patience, dedication, passion, and the importance of family. In addition, many of the people I love most work in the industry. I strive to be an advocate for agriculture by educating individuals so that they can make informed decisions as consumers and have basic knowledge about the industry."

David Mock

LaFayette, IL



“Scholarships are critical to my goal of graduating from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign debt free. I was fortunate to be awarded scholarships during my freshman year to pay 100% of my tuition, fees, and housing. Each year I have set a budget to apply for scholarships equaling a portion of the cost; the remaining costs I will use my savings and work in the summer to cover the remaining costs.”

Dylan Zwilling

Fisher, IL

“My passion for agriculture came from a young age. I loved to spend weekends at my grandparents as a kid and ride in the equipment and learn more about agriculture. I then would come home and run my own carpet farming operation with my scale tractors. As I grew older, I have learned to run equipment such as the planter, grain cart, and combine. I hope to continue this passion for agriculture by helping out the family farm until I can farm full time.”

Gage Miller

Cambridge, IL



“Receiving an IL Corn Scholarship is truly an honor and defines the immense effort that I have put into my college career. As a recipient of the IL Corn Scholarship, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and responsibility to uphold its values and contribute to the growth of the agricultural industry. Pursuing my degree in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications has been an exciting journey, and I am positive that this scholarship will help me with my education at the University of Illinois.“

Logan Bend

Earlville, IL



“I am pursuing a career in agriculture due to my upbringing on my family’s grain farm. I spent a lot of my childhood and teenage years working on the farm, which developed my passion for agriculture, shaping me into the person I am today. In the future, I would like to work for an agribusiness and as a farmer. As a seventh-generation farmer, I strive to maintain and grow our family farm for the next generation.”

Five scholarships will be awarded from IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) this year. Included with the scholarship, recipients will also get a free one-year ICGA membership.

“We are thrilled with the amount of participation with this being the first year we are offering scholarships after a short hiatus,” said Matt Rush, ICGA President and farmer in Southern Illinois. “We are proud to be able to assist future generations of agriculture producers and leaders as well as encourage continuing education in ag.”
 

We asked the 5 winners why they love/chose ag OR what the scholarship means to them and here are their answers:

Missed the chance to apply to our scholarship program? Check back next year.