Ricketts earns Monsanto ag scholarship

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ROCKFORD — Van Wert High School student Tiffany Ricketts has been awarded a $1,500 scholarship from America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, a new program sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Ricketts, of Rockford, will attend Ohio State University at Lima to major in agronomy and crop science and pursue a career as an agronomist.

“Tiffany carries a philosophy of living by the ‘golden rule’ and treats others with kindness and respect,” said Lynette Westgerdes, FFA advisor at Van Wert High School. “She goes the extra mile in order to help others reach their goals. Her enthusiasm and leadership skills will allow her to go far in her career.”

The future of agriculture relies on talented young people like Ricketts to fill thousands of jobs in a variety of fields, such as plant science, engineering, communications, finance and more. Grow Ag Leaders encourages rural youth to remain in agriculture and provides scholarships to support their education.

Grow Ag Leaders scholarships, administered by the National FFA Organization, are available to high school seniors and college students pursuing degrees in ag-related fields. To be considered, each applicant is required to receive endorsements from at least three local farmers. Thanks to farmers and a successful six-state pilot launch in 2014, the program was expanded across the country. With support from the Monsanto Fund, more than $500,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students this year. For more information, visit GrowAgLeaders.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders is part of the America’s Farmers initiative. Since 2010, the America’s Farmers campaign and programs have advocated on behalf of farmers and their efforts to meet society’s needs through agriculture. Today, consumers are more interested than ever in agriculture and how food is grown. Consider joining the conversation and helping to raise awareness about agriculture. Learn more at FoodDialogues.com.