MSU Students Earn Dairy Scholarships

The Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation and endowments honoring Howard Cowles and Rolland Patenge have awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to Michigan State University (MSU) students pursuing dairy industry-related programs of study for the 2021-22 academic year.

The following students were awarded a named Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation Scholarship. Named scholarships are established endowments within the MDMSF that each have specific criteria related to the individual the scholarship is named after. The 2021-22 MDMSF named scholarship recipients include:

Glenn & Anne Lake Scholarship, $7,500: Kristen Burkhardt, a senior in Agribusiness Management from Fowlerville

Russel Erickson Scholarship, $5,000: Chase Rievert, a senior in Animal Science from Bay Port

Donald and Valera Murray Scholarship, $4,000: Rajrsri Raghunath, a senior in Food Science and Human Nutrition from East Lansing

John and Barbara Dilland Scholarship, $4,000: Adalee Thelen, a freshman in Animal Science with an Agribusiness Management minor from St. Johns Archie Studer Scholarship, $4,000: Calvin Bontekoe, a junior in Animal Science from Howell

Nick Bellows Scholarship, $4,000: Kelsey Pasch, a senior in Animal Science from Beal City

George and Shirley Hazle Scholarship, $4,000: Brooke Voelker, a junior in Animal Science from Paris

Red and Edna Cotter Scholarship, $4,000: Ellen Launstein, a fourth-year student in Veterinary Medicine from Mason

Harold and Lillian Gremel Scholarship, $4,000: Emmy Schuurmans, a third-year student in Veterinary Medicine from Caledonia

Velmar Green Scholarship, $4,000: Drew Neyer, a second-year student in Ag Tech Dairy Management from Shepherd

Gary and Carolyn Trimner Scholarship, $4,000: Monika Dziuba, a third-year student in Veterinary Medicine from Riverview

The following five MSU students were awarded $3,500 scholarships from the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation:

Katie Butler, a senior in Animal Science and Microbiology from Gaylord

Mikayla Bowen, a junior in Animal Science from Addison

BreAnna Laughlin, a sophomore in Animal Science from St. Louisville, Ohio

Cora Schau, a senior in Animal Science from Buchanan

Serenity Bonilla, a senior in Animal Science from Whittier, Calif.

One student pursuing a two-year certificate in the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) dairy management program earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation:

Rachael Bosse from Moline

One first-year student was awarded the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation Freshman Scholarship worth $1,500:

Madison Wieland, Animal Science major from Cass City

Two veterinary students were awarded the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation Scholarships worth $2,000:

Morgan Mathews, a first-year student from Glencoe, Minn. Jared Sanderson, a third-year student from Sandusky

Thanks to the generous support of donors, the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation oversees the largest scholarship program in the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and one of the largest at MSU. The MDMSF was established in 1957 through contributions made in honor of individuals who have served the dairy industry. Income from the endowment has generated scholarships for deserving students who want to pursue careers associated with the dairy industry.

Howard Cowles Dairy Scholarships

The Howard Cowles Dairy Scholarships are given annually to students in Animal Science who have attained junior status and demonstrated a strong interest in dairy. Academic achievement and participation in extracurricular activities are given strong consideration. The scholarships are provided by revenue from a gift from the estate of Howard E. Cowles, who was a long-time employee of Sealtest Dairy. This year's recipients of $1,000 scholarships are:

Deandra Franklin of Flat Rock

Irie Moussiaux of Almont

Samantha Whitehead of Corunna

Rolland Patenge Endowed Scholarships

The Rolland Patenge Endowed Scholarships are given annually to students in Animal Science who have attained junior status and demonstrated a strong interest in dairy. The scholarships were created by Mary Patenge in memory of her husband Rolland, who was a dairy farmer near East Lansing prior to taking over the operation of Wohlert Corporation in Lansing. This year's recipients of $1,000 scholarships are:

Calvin Bontekoe; Mikayla Bowen

Shannon Good of Caledonia

Katie Wilson of Blanchard

For information on making contributions to honor members of the dairy industry or to support student scholarships, please contact the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources External Relations at 517-355-0284. To learn more about the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation, contact Dr. Miriam Weber Nielsen in the MSU Department of Animal Science at 517-449-7941.