CCFB Foundation Scholarship Winners Announced
The Board of Directors of the Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation has selected nine individuals as recipients of the 2024 Scholarship Program. Carmen Trotta of Evergreen Park was awarded the Howard Paarlberg Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship and Brigid Heller of Chicago was awarded the Stuenkel Family Legacy Scholarship. Receiving general farm and food scholarships were Daniel Lyons of La Grange Highlands, Elijah Floerke of Orland Park, Jennifer Miller of Justice, Matthew Smits of Chicago Heights, Leah Sheehan of Palatine, John Dwyer of Tinley Park, and Amelia Niedbalec of Mundelein. A total of $19,500 of scholarship funds were distributed.
Howard Paarlberg Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Recipient
Elijah Floerke, Orland Park: Floerke attends Illinois State University and is working on his Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness. He’s helped his grandparents throughout the years on their farm in Southern Illinois. Once he graduates, he wants to make a difference in the world through agriculture.
Howard Paarlberg Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship This scholarship is designed to honor Mr. Howard Paarlberg, the first President of the Foundation and President of the Farm Bureau for 16 years. The recipient of this scholarship carries the prestige of being the top-rated applicant and receives a greater financial reward.
Stuenkel Family Legacy Scholarship Recipient
Brigid Heller, Chicago: Heller attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is majoring in Biological Systems/Agricultural Engineering-Machinery Systems. She hopes to build a career in greenhouse technology that will focus on smart systems that will optimize resource use, reduce waste, and improve sustainability in agriculture
This scholarship was created to honor the many contributions made by the Stuenkel Family to the Cook County Farm Bureau, the Foundation, and the organization’s agriculture education and literacy programming and has been designed for those who are pursuing higher education with a focus on an agriculture related career in the areas of technology, education, leadership development, and/or mental health.
General Agriculture Scholarship Recipients
Daniel Lyons – Lyons attends Joliet Junior College and is majoring in Agriculture Production Management. He hopes to own and operate his own beef cattle farm one day and also hopes to inspire aspiring farmers and encourage them to start their own farms as well.
Jennifer Miller – Miller attends Southern Illinois University’s School of Dental Medicine and is working on her doctorate in Dental Medicine. Her goal is to provide dental services in a rural/underserved area in Cook County.
Matthew Smits – Smits attends Purdue University and is working towards a degree in Horticulture. After graduation, he hopes to return to his family farm and apply his education in Horticulture to successfully run a greenhouse business.
Leah Sheehan – Sheehan attends the University of Minnesota and is majoring in Industrial/Systems Engineering. Her involvement in 4-H contributed to her passion for agriculture and with her degree, she hopes to create smarter systems that can solve, or limit, the challenges that many farmers and ag workers face today.
Meghan Czerwinski - Czerwinski will attend North Carolina State University in the fall and will major in Animal Science with a minor in Nutrition. She hopes to provide modern, quality veterinary care and promote sustainable agriculture practices specifically to dairy cattle.
Sophia Roy - Roy will attend William Woods University and will double major in Equine Business Administration and Equestrian Science. After college she plans to build a career in the equestrian industry working at a large-scale boarding, breeding, and training facility and hopes to eventually own a multipurpose farm.
Lilliana Bernabei - Bernabei will attend Iowa State University in the fall and will major in Agricultural Business. She plans to pursue a career in agriculture real estate, with the ultimate goal of opening her own brokerage. She hopes to support the growth of the ag community and help farmers and landowners navigate the complexities of real estate.
Graham Breaker - Breaker will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and will major in Dairy and Food Animal Management. He realizes that there is a need for young people who are passionate about agriculture to be more involved. He hopes to create positive changes in the ag community and improve the lives of farmers.
The Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation was established by the Cook County Farm Bureau to carry out charitable, literary, and educational work in Agriculture. The Foundation Board established the Agricultural Scholarship Program to provide financial assistance to students pursuing education for agricultural careers and to encourage the best and brightest young minds to return to Agriculture as their chosen career.