THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR AGRICULTURAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Lindsay Mitchell
Adkins Energy LLC has named their 2014 scholarship winners – and IL Corn couldn’t be prouder of the understanding these young students have about ethanol and its impact on the marketplace.
Let’s take a moment, amidst all the negative news about Generation Y and their lack of ambition and commitment, to celebrate some of the young agriculture professionals who will lead your industry into the next generation.
One scholarship winner, Hailey Endress, writes, “The ethanol industry has already accomplished a great deal. I believe in the industry and I am hopeful that all of agriculture can come together and support this renewable fuel effort and help it reach its goals. In my mind, ethanol can and will manage to get higher blends of fuel into the marketplace. In no way do I think this will be a quick and easy task, but I believe that the leaders in this industry are persistent, intelligent and believers. As a supporter of production agriculture and ethanol, I look forward to helping this industry continue to expand. “
Korina Freidag says in her winning essay, “Awareness is the first challenge to conquer. Not nearly enough people are conscious of the many benefits higher blends in ethanol can bring. Ethanol will, without a doubt, prove to be the right choice over time. After proving ethanol to be effective, concerns with the product will fade, and it will be more popular (Horkey). But why should we wait for people to understand this over time? The best way to speed up this process is to make individuals aware of ethanol's presence. The American Ethanol program has already begun to find ways to expand the awareness. Because of them, for the 2014 NASCAR season, Austin Dillon will be racing in the number 3 American Ethanol Cheverolet SS. Jon Holzfaster, a supporter of the American Ethanol program, said, “We want to show the people coast-coast there is a great alternative to imported oil” (Schroeder, “American”). Anyone can help spread the word about ethanol, an easy way of doing this is to contact retail chains, asking for higher blends of ethanol. If the retailers know the consumers are wanting it, then you can expect to see improvements very soon (Schroeder, “Iowa”).
Kuddos to these Illinois students and congratulations on a scholarship hard won. We are excited to celebrate your success with you, both in this competition and as you move on to a career in agriculture.
