SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to all of these OSA Scholarship Recipients!
2023/24
Kelsi Deal
OSA/OSU Scholarship
My name is Kelsi Deal. I grew up in the small southern Oregon town of Klamath Falls. I come from a family of four children, and I am a triplet. After graduating from Triad High School in Klamath, I attended Treasure Valley Community College pursuing an associate degree in Crop Science. I am a junior at OSU working towards my bachelors in Crop Science with the option of Soil Science. I plan to get my bachelors, possibly my masters, and work for the BLM or USDA with soil or plants.
Aaron Fulginiti
OSA/OSU Scholarship
My name is Aaron Fulginiti. I live in Florida with my wife and son, where we have lived for the past 10 years. I currently work at Sound Ag that works with breeding and fertilizer replacement technologies. I am currently working on getting my bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science through OSU’s Ecampus platform. I have been working with crops and field research for the past 9 years. I really enjoy working with plants, helping farmers grow their crops, and helping them to trouble shoot the issues they face. I hope to graduate and continue my career as an agronomist.
Weston Block
OSA/OSU Scholarship
Weston Block is an Oregon native, raised in the Portland metro area, and a Junior at OSU where he is majoring in Crop and Soil Science with an option in Agronomy. Through high school and community college he was undecided on what field he wanted to go into, until he figured out that a life working out in the fields fit his goals and aspirations like a puzzle piece. He transferred to the university in 2023 upon the completion of his AAOT degree from Portland Community College, and has sought to gather as much agricultural knowledge as he can in the time since then. His plan over the summer is to work in the Willamette Valley, gaining as much hands-on experience and know-how as possible. Long term, he aspires to own and operate his own farming operation with a potential agritourism element.
Mary Davidson
OSA/OSU and Oregon Seed Cleaning
Mary Davidson is a graduate of St. Paul High School in Saint Paul, Oregon. She is currently pursuing a degree in Agricultural Science with a minor in Crop Science at OSU. In addition, Mary is also a member of the women’s rowing team. During the summer, she works for her father on their family farm as well as Resolute Seed, and for Pure Seed’s research farm. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she plans to attend graduate school to study plant genetics. Her ultimate goal is to become a grass seed breeder and start her own grass seed breeding business.
Chris Lessey
William Kent Wiley, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
My name is Chris Lessey and I am a graduate student at Oregon State University. My project is titled “Overcoming the Barriers to Cover Crop Use in Hazelnut Orchards”. The standard operating procedure in many hazelnut orchards in Oregon is to maintain bare soil throughout the growing season. This can lead to compacted soil, erosion, decreased microbial activity and a host of other issues. Hazelnut growers are starting to see these issues and are adopting cover crops to help mitigate these issues. The most popular cover crop choice so far has been turf grasses. Turf grasses provide excellent trafficability for equipment, can be mowed short before harvest, and hold the soil in place. My project aims to provide data to growers about which types of cover crops are most conducive to hazelnut orchard floor management. I am passionate about regenerative agriculture, soil health, and sustainability. Cover crops are one of the best tools available to farmers to meet these objectives.
I would like to thank OSA and the family of Kent Wiley for awarding this scholarship to me this year. I am going to try my best to sell as much grass seed as I can to the hazelnut growers in Oregon.
2022
Lane Marsh
2022 OSA/OSU Scholarship
2022 Oregon Seed Cleaning Scholarship
Lane Marsh is a graduate of Kennedy High School in Mt. Angel and a sophomore at OSU majoring in Crop & Soil with an option in Agronomy. His interest in agriculture started when he tagged along with his father on a large Christmas tree farm in the Silverton area. Since then, he has spent summers working for 4B Farms in Mt. Angel, and is currently spending his summers working for Pratum Co-op as a field scout intern, where he hopes to end up working as a field representative after graduation.
Christian Lessey
2022 OSA/OSU Scholarship
2022 Oregon Seed Cleaning Scholarship
Christian Lessey is a native of SE Portland. His family moved to Salt Lake City when he was 10 where he graduated from Skyline High School. He moved back to Oregon when he was 21 and worked in construction and on an organic farm until a few years ago when he became a full-time student at OSU. He started with a focus on Plant Breeding and Genetics but has shifted towards Crop & Soil Science. His long-term plan is to work as a consultant with farmers for sustainable and efficiency.
Aaron Fulginiti
2022 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Aaron Fulginiti is in his first year at OSU using the Ecampus and pursuing a degree in Crop & Soil Science on an Agronomy track. Currently living in Florida, he works for Syngenta Seeds in the plant pathology area working on controlling bacteria and viruses in the numerous fresh vegetable crops in Florida at the seed and crop production level.
Victor Ribeiro
2022 William Kent Wiley, Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Victor Ribeiro is originally from Brazil, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy and a Masters in Crop Production. During his master’s studies, a visit to the Wisconsin-Madison area led him to a two-year research program that started him down the path of doing research. Currently, he is working on his Ph.D. at OSU under Carol Mallory-Smith focusing on herbicide resistance of Downy Brome. His end goal is to be a professor conducting relevant research in weed science.
2021
Lisa Loscutoff
2021 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Lisa Loscutoff is currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing. Upon completion of the program, she will have numerous career avenues open to her which include ICU nursing, nurse anesthesia, nurse management, research, PhD attainment and global health advocacy. In any career path Lisa choses, she will be a leader in her field. Lisa is also participating in Research Honors activities within the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, which pairs her with a primary researcher and allows her to present her findings at the end of her tenure as a student.
Prior to enrolling at Johns Hopkins University, Lisa worked at the American Red Cross where she was part of a team that collected platelets primarily used for patients undergoing cancer treatment. The impact of her work there lead her to her current path and a desire to help save lives.
I would just like to thank you and the OSA for taking your time and awarding the scholarship to me, it will definitely be put to good use over the duration of my studies!
Eric Ruiz Cortes
2021 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Eric Ruiz Cortes will be graduating from Harrisburg High School in June and will be attending Oregon State University, where he will earn a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Eric would like to get an internship as a multimedia programmer while attending OSU, and upon graduation move to Washington or California to start his career and continue his education to obtain a Master’s degree and ultimately a position with Apple.
During his high school years, Eric has been very active in Leadership and sports. He was president of his school’s chapter of National Honor Society and volunteered in numerous community and church activities.
Eric has worked hard to maintain a 3.956 GPA while giving his time to his community and church. He will continue with this work ethic to achieve his life goals.
Nathan Stout
2021 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Nathan Stout is on track to graduate from Madras High School with honors where he has been active in sports, including being Team Captain and on the Leadership Council. He has volunteered his time at sport camps for youths and cutting wood for a local reservation. During these years, Nathan has worked for different farms in the area which planted the seed for his goal of pursuing a career in agriculture.
Nathan plans to attend the University of Idaho to obtain a degree in Agricultural Systems Management. His Honors Chemistry/Physics Instructor at Madras believes, “the University of Idaho will be a great place for Nathan to continue his education due to the highly intellectual environment and Nathan’s abilities to form meaningful relationships through critical and hands-on inquiry projects.” Nathan is open to the opportunities this degree will afford him, but ultimately, he aspires to come back to the area after college and build a solid career in the agricultural field.
Josie Stegall
2021 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Josie Stegall is closing her second year at Chemeketa Community College, where she’s majored in Sonography and plans to transfer to Oregon Institute of Technology this fall. Once complete, Josie will have a Bachelor of Science degree and ultimately begin her career path as a radiologist.
Josie was inspired to enter the medical field after witnessing the nurses, doctors and specialists that worked together to help restore her father’s health. She’s been involved in blood drives and was further impacted by a job shadow with an ultrasound technician. Josie is driven to help others and feels obtaining her degree and becoming a radiologist will be “life changing” for her and others.
Thank you very much for the Oregon Seed Association Memorial Scholarship! I am extremely grateful to receive this award as it will make a significant difference in how I pay for college. . . . I’m very excited about the results confirming my acceptance into the program at Oregon Tech and getting started in the fall! I truly appreciate the Oregon Seed Association helping me reach these goals. I would also like to thank the interview committee and everyone involved for being a part of the process to present me with this award.
Rocio Ruiz Lopez
2021 & 2018 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Rocio Ruiz Lopez is going to be a senior at the University of Portland where she is on track to get her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. As an emergency room nurse, Rocio hopes to break down barriers and advocate for patients to ensure they receive high-quality care. She believes the demanding environment will be the right fit for her.
Rocio has been inspired by her family and dedicated to her community. Among her many accomplishments, she had the opportunity to be a vaccinator at the Oregon Convention Center COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. She has volunteered as an Admissions Tour Guide giving campus tours to those whose first language is Spanish, and has also enjoyed tutoring elementary and middle school students.
Valuing the opportunities life brings, Rocio has tied in her passion for languages with her minor in French. As a tutor, she also found a passion for teaching. Rocio plans to put both passions to good use by participating in Nursing Beyond Borders and possibly applying for a Teaching Assistant Program in France where she can share the English language with nursing students.
Thank you! I appreciate all the support I have received from the Oregon Seed Association.
Sienna Lacy
2021 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Sienna Lacy has received several awards during her years at East Linn Christian Academy, including Student of the Year twice and the Junior Optimist Youth Attitude award. She enjoyed playing soccer and basketball as well as her active role on the Leadership Team. After graduating with honors this year, Sienna plans to further her education to become a dental hygienist.
Sienna will begin at Chemeketa Community College and then apply for the three-year Dental Hygienist program at Oregon Institute of Technology. Upon reaching her goal, Sienna plans to come back to Lebanon and work for a local dentist that helped inspire her. She is determined to help others feel comfortable and cared for so they can have an enjoyable dental experience.
Thank you very much for the scholarship that you awarded to me. I am very excited about my classes this fall. Thank you for helping me pursue my dream career!
2020
Claira Goracke
2020 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Claira Goracke will be attending Eastern Oregon University this fall as a freshman majoring in Agriculture Science with a minor in business. She grew up in a family that farms and has a seed company and plans to be the next generation to work for the family seed business as a salesperson.
During her high school years, Claira has been very active in Leadership and Future Farmers of America. She was also a member of the National Honor Society for three years. She has been exposed to many aspects of farming and is looking forward to following in her grandfather’s footsteps.
Thank you so much for helping support me through my education. This year at EOU has been a great experience thus far. I have experienced many fun times as well as some challenging times. I have realized that there is more to college than just the academics portion. While I have loved learning I have also realized that the connections we make are a huge part of college. I have met some super awesome friends in the short time I’ve been here in La Grande.
As far as classes go I have really been enjoying my science classes and labs and am positive that Ag Sciences will be the perfect education pathway for me. This second term I am in Ag 438, called Exploring World Ag. The class has sparked my interest in possibly studying abroad sometime in the future. It has opened my eyes to many opportunities that I have to learn about Agriculture in a completely different environment.
I thank you again for your help and support.
Megan Stewart
2020 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Megan Stewart is currently enrolled at George Fox University with a double major in Journalism and Psychology, and is on track to graduate in the spring of 2021. While Megan is not sure if she will end up in journalism or counseling, she is sure that wherever she lands it will be in service to others.
Megan has been involved in several school newspapers and is currently co-editor-in-chief of The Crescent (the school paper at George Fox). She is also starting a summer internship with The New Era, a newspaper in Sweet Home, Oregon. Megan has worked to pay her way through college, and has also participated in walks for the National Eating Disorder Association and the EPIK Project, which helps fight sex-trafficking. She is active in her church and lives her life with passion, hope and a goal to give back to her community.
Makenna Setniker
2020 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Makenna Setniker is enrolled at Oregon State University and plans to graduate in the spring of 2021 with a degree in Agriculture Business Management. She plans to pursue a career in the agriculture industry working for a vegetable seed company based in the Willamette Valley.
Growing up on a family farm gave Makenna a passion for agriculture at an early age. Since age 15, she has been able to work in several aspects of the farming operation and has gained valuable experience to fuel her passion and future goals. Currently, she is working as an intern at Universal Seed Company and has greatly appreciated the opportunity to increase her knowledge of the seed industry. Makenna is active in her community and church and enjoys spending time with her family.
Nicole Cavill
2020 & 2017 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Nicole Cavill is attending the University of Montana and is currently enrolled in the radiologic technologist program. Her goal after graduation in December 2020 is to apply to the radiation therapy program at Oregon Health and Science University. Her passion is to give a positive experience to patients battling cancer.
Nicole was active in Leadership & Student Government, National Honor Society and FFA. She has volunteered extensively throughout her school years in a plethora of community and church programs. She enjoys photography and horseback riding in her down time.
Matt Liszewski
2020 & 2019 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Matt is a senior at OSU majoring in Crop and Soil Science. He grew up in Salem and has been working at a grass seed farm in Silverton for over four years. While at OSU, he has been very involved with the Crop Science club, getting to know potential clients, and gaining an even better understanding of the agricultural community. Although he did not grow up in agriculture, it has became his passion and cannot wait to spend his career in the ag industry.
Raymond Seal
2020 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Raymond is currently finishing his third year in the Crop & Soil Science program at Oregon State University. He has served for two years as the president of FarmHouse Fraternity as well as being an active participant on many community service, philanthropy and event committees. In addition to FarmHouse, Raymond is a member of the Crop Science Club and Country Western Dance Club at Oregon State. Prior to college Raymond served for one year as a State Officer for the Oregon FFA Association. From connections made in FFA, Raymond spent his last two summers working for Marion Ag Service as an intern. After completing a study abroad in New Zealand and finishing school in fall 2020, he hopes to work as an agronomist in Oregon.
Seth Barnhart
2020 OSA/OSU Scholarship
2020 Oregon Seed Cleaning Scholarship
Seth is a junior at OSU majoring in Agricultural Business Management. He was raised at Roaring Spring Ranch where his dad worked, until his family moved back to Hoskins to take over the family farm. His family has been raising cattle for Country Natural Beef on the farm, that has been in the family since the early 1900’s. He started working for a grass seed farm when he was 16 and has been working on the harvest crew for the last four summers. Those positions sparked an interest in seed production, and this fall he planted his first crop of Italian ryegrass. His plan is to expand the seed side of the farm in the coming years and move back to Hoskins to farm with his father.
Nicole Anderson
2020 William Kent Wiley, Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Nicole is a current PhD student in the Crop and Soil Science Department at OSU. Her doctoral studies are focused on evaluating best agronomic practices in fine fescue seed crops that are grown in the absence of field burning. Her research is being conducted both at OSU’s Hyslop Research Farm and at four commercial farm locations in the Silverton Hills. For the past 11 years Nicole has also served as a field crops extension agent at OSU focusing on grass and legume seed production in the Willamette Valley. During this time, she has conducted over 100 field trials and regularly works with growers and crop consultants to solve practical problems on the farm. After graduation, Nicole looks forward to continuing her career helping Oregon’s seed growers.
Kevin Madrigal
2020 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Kevin was born and raised in Boardman in Eastern Oregon. He is a first generation college student at Oregon State University and is striving to major in agronomy with a minor in business. He says he loves a challenge and learning something new every day.
2019
Ashley Ragan
2019 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Ms. Ragan is a current student at Dallas High School in Dallas. Her father, Jason Ragan, currently works for Barenbrug USA. Ashley is an exceptional student, thespian and active member of her community. Ashley has gone above and beyond in her current studies from taking college classes to creating a tutoring program to teach elementary school age children Spanish. She is currently set to attend Western Oregon University in the fall to pursue a bachelor in Spanish with the ultimate goal of becoming a teacher in the local community. It was clear to the scholarship committee that Ashley’s dedication to her academics and extracurricular involvement proved to be a step ahead of her peers.
Cole Setniker
2019 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Mr. Setniker is a current student at Santiam Christian School. His father, Erik Setniker, currently works for Universal Seed Company. Cole plans to attend California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, California, to obtain a degree in Agriculture Business Management. Cole is a dynamic member of his community and an outstanding student. He is also an active member in 4H, FFA, and is the owner of KMC Cattle Company. His career goals are to become a managing partner of a vegetable seed company. The committee was extremely impressed with Cole’s ability to represent himself and his achievements in a professional but enthusiastic way.
Jamie Evers
2019 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Ms. Evers is currently attending the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) pursuing a major in Biology-Health Sciences with two minors in Literature and Technical Communication. After graduating from OIT, Jamie plans to continue her education with a Master’s degree in Science Writing or Doctorate of Chiropractic. Jamie will complete her DC with a training program in animal chiropractic medicine. With her diverse education, she will be able to thrive in her chosen career path. In addition to her academics, Jamie is very involved in community service and volunteers at the Klamath Animal Shelter. She is a member of several clubs and has a passion to make a difference in the world.
Emma Hedgpeth
2019 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Ms. Hedgpeth is a junior at Washington State University Pullman and plans to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, certified for major in Accounting. Although this was not her original goal, she made the transition after realizing her strengths and interests were much better suited to business and accounting. Emma has been involved in agriculture from an early age and has volunteered at previous OSA conventions and worked one summer at Columbia River Seed. She is very active in her church and community working with Women’s Ministry, childcare and Sunday School. After graduation, Emma hopes to pursue a finance career in Agriculture.
Grant Roth
2019 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Grant is a junior at OSU majoring in Turf Management. He grew up on a diversified family farm outside of Silverton. His interest in turf management came from watching sports on television and his curiosity in how they made the fields look so good. To pursue his goal of being a major league grounds keeper, Grant interned last summer with a minor league baseball team in South Carolina, where he learned how to manage Bermudagrass turf. Next summer, Grant will be interning again, this time with the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team in Washington D.C.
2018
Dayne Iverson
2018 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Dayne will be graduating as Valedictorian of Chiawana High School with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.82 weighted GPA. He has been accepted, and will be attending Randolph-Macon College in the fall of 2018 with a major in chemistry and a minor in biology and Spanish. In addition, Dayne has earned a spot in the college honors program, NCAA Men’s Volleyball team and has been named their president’s scholar. All this will work towards Dayne’s goal to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. He is driven by a desire to help others, and after reaching his goal, wants to give back to others by volunteering time each year to Doctors without Borders.
At a young age, Dayne learned the value of hard work and determination. As a freshman, he founded Chiawana’s first Pre-Med Club and is the first student to complete 1,200 volunteer hours at his local hospital. Throughout his high school career, Dayne has shown versatility in his extracurricular activities, community service and scholastic achievements. He will also earn his EMT certification this summer.
Dayne is a very driven and goal oriented individual. He has a plan mapped out for his higher education and recognizes the dedication and hard work it will take to achieve the title of doctor.
Ryan Dunn
2018 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Ryan is finishing his last year at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. His father is Bill Dunn at DLF/Pickseed/Seed Research. His major is Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechatronics. He has excelled in his studies making the Dean’s list every quarter and the President’s List for the last two years.
His passion is robotics and the development of robotic technologies. Ryan has been involved with various high school robotics teams as a way to get younger students interested in the field. His high school robotics club really peaked his interest and he wants to reach other students in that way.
He would like to pursue a career in the robotics industry and someday start a successful robotics company.
Sequoia Rysdam
2018 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Sequoia is a junior at Pacific Lutheran University. She plans on graduating in May of 2019 with a degree in Kinesiology. She is in the pre-physical therapy program and her minor is Exercise and Sports Psychology. She will begin applying to physical therapy schools this summer. Her mother is Velvet Rysdam at Pure Seed Testing.
In talking with Sequoia, it is evident she has a passion for sports and working with athletes who are recovering from injuries. In addition to playing on several sports teams at Silverton High School, she has been involved in coaching with the Special Olympics and the paralympic sports club at Pacific Lutheran University. She would like to own a physical therapy clinic in her home town of Silverton in the future.
James Tyler “Ty” Seely
2018 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Ty grew up in Hillsboro and is a senior studying Horticulture and International Studies. He did not grow up in the agriculture industry, but his interest was piqued while working at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center after his junior year of high school. Since then, he has worked summers at OSU on various research projects. He was our first interview done via a satellite as he spent the 2017 fall term in Guatemala establishing an oyster mushroom growing project/small business development. These hands-on experiences have helped him to choose his graduate program of combating food insecurity in the world. He will be graduating in June of 2018.
Adan Avila
2018 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Adan is a senior studying Ag Business Management and grew up in Canby. He has spent his life in agriculture working on a local fresh market vegetable farm while in high school and college, rising to crew supervisor. Adan has done two internships while in school at OSU, one with Pure Seed Testing in 2016, and the summer of 2017 at Northwest Farm Credit Services. From both internships, he has decided that he would like to pursue a career in either our seed industry or in Ag credit. He will be graduating in June of 2018.
Aaron Zielinski
2018 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Aaron is a senior from Gervais majoring in Crop and Soil Science, and wants to be an agronomist or extension agent. After high school, not fully knowing what he wanted to do for a career, Aaron worked for a few years in everything—from washing cars to retail. He also worked on his uncles’ farms and with his dad, Gordon, on their family’s hazelnut farm, before figuring out that he wanted to be involved in the ag industry.
Garrett Hightower
2018 OSA/OSU Scholarship
2018 Oregon Seed Cleaning Scholarship
Garrett is currently a junior majoring in Ag Business Management. He grew up on a diversified farm in Junction City and considers himself a lifetime ag person. As his father, Rodney, is part owner of Strome Farms, he has done everything from moving irrigation to equipment maintenance. His goals are to be “the next generation of the farm” by someday taking it over, and learning the tools to succeed while learning at OSU. He is on track to finish school in December 2018.
Colette Richter
2018 William Kent Wiley Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Colette is a first-year masters student in the Crop and Soil Sciences department at Oregon State University. Her co-advisers are Dr. Bob Zemetra (wheat breeding) and Dr. Sabry Elias (seed science and technology). Her thesis topic is “The Development of Screening Methods for the Transfer of a New Herbicide Resistance into Winter Wheat Adapted to the Pacific Northwest.” Colette is excited to be working on a project that gives her exposure to both plant breeding and seed technology, and could see herself working in both fields in the future. She plans to pursue a PhD after completing her master’s degree, but has not decided on a specific area of focus.
Colette transferred from the University of Wisconsin with one year of eligibility remaining, and is a member of the Oregon State University cross country and track teams. Her drive to succeed is evident and has helped her achieve at a high level in both academics and athletics throughout her career.
2017
Brenda Birrueta
2017 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Brenda is from Lebanon, Oregon, and the daughter of Celestino and Carmen Birrueta who are both long time employees of Barenbrug USA. Brenda is the first of her family to attend college and her family is proud of her achievement. Brenda just finished her sophomore year of studies at Oregon State University, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish. She spent her freshmen year at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
While attending school, Brenda also holds down a job. Her current employer states that she walks in the door with a smile on her face and is a pure joy to have in their office. Brenda never complains about her heavy work load, she always remains positive and stays on task. In school, her advisor writes that Brenda demonstrates an ability to work within a team, also exhibits leadership skills, and is a valuable contributor to the community around her.
Brenda’s current career plans are in Human Resources. She is hoping to find an internship this summer working for a local company in a similar aspect of Business Management.
Mitchell (Mitch) Evers
2017 OSA Memorial Scholarship
2017 Oregon Seed Cleaning Scholarship
Mitchell (Mitch) Evers, a senior at Oregon State University (OSU) and local Corvallis resident, received both the Oregon Seed Association/Oregon State University (OSA/OSU) and Oregon Seed Cleaning scholarship awards.
Mitch grew up on a dairy farm and has been around agriculture his entire life. His goal is to become an agronomist in forage production, either domestically or internationally. Mitch has been involved in the OSU Dairy Club and as a technician in the USDA Horticultural Crops research unit. He enjoys participating with Ag Fest and Farm Bureau, and the opportunities he has had to speak with legislators about the agriculture industry.
Tanner Holland
2017, 2016 & 2015 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Tanner is a junior at Oregon State University, majoring in Ag Science with a career goal of working in the seed industry. Tanner spent this past summer in the OSA internship program getting exposed to different aspects of the seed industry such as warehousing, cleaning, plant breeding research and harvesting.Tanner is a senior Ag Sciences major. Upon graduating, he hopes to work in the grass seed industry as an agronomist or get involved in seed or agricultural sales in the Willamette Valley.
Tanner completed an OSA internship and worked for several different member companies during the summer of 2015. This experience really solidified his desire to be involved in the Oregon seed industry. Tanner has an innate ability to build strong and positive relationships with the people he is around.
The OSA scholarship committee has made tremendous contributions in the advancement of my education. The awards I have received from the Oregon Seed Association have helped ease the substantial financial burden that comes with obtaining a higher education, and have allowed me to direct my focus on my studies. Being a recipient of two scholarship awards from the OSA means a great deal to me and my family. It is a gratifying and humbling experience to have been recognized for hard-earned academic success by members of the seed industry here in Oregon. The relationships I have been able to form along the way through the OSA are invaluable, and are relationships that I will cherish throughout my lifetime. I hope that one day I will get to be a part of a program like the Oregon Seed Association scholarship committee, which puts so much effort into continued growth of the industry and support of future generations. Thank you.
Samantha Roof
2017 & 2016 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Samantha is a senior at Oregon State University. After an internship as a freshman in Hermiston at the OSU Ag Research and Extension Center, Samantha became interested in the industry practice of spraying pesticides and protecting the environment and the animals living in it. Her goal became to mitigate and find a balance that can produce a high yield in production for the growers without having a negative impact to the environment. Samantha is majoring in Bioresource Research with an option in Sustainable Ecosystems.
Samantha Brentano
2017 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Samantha is a senior at Oregon State University majoring in soil sciences, Samantha would like to better agriculture through research and development, possibly as a research agronomist. Her goal is to pursue a Master’s degree in order to have more available resources and freedom to develop or enhance current or future tools and technology being used in agriculture. Her motivation is to help farmers maximize their inputs and minimize ecological impact.
Nick Carleson
2017 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Nick is in the BioResource Research program at the Honors College at Oregon State University (OSU). His thesis focus is on plant-parasitic microbiomes. He has worked on the seed gall nematode, a pest seen in orchard grass and bent grass. In his free time, he loves to cycle and is the OSU cycling club race director.
Brenda Villanueva
Brenda Villanueva
2017 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Brenda is majoring in Bio Resource Research with the objective of working in the seed industry with a focus on pathogens. Her goal is to find ways to control pathogens that are less expensive and have a greater efficacy. Brenda was also a presenter at the undergraduate summer research symposium at OSU where she received high marks. Brenda is a Sophmore at Oregon State University.
Angel Torres
2017 OSA/OSU Scholarship
Angel has been around farming in Oregon his entire life. He is majoring in Crop and Soil Science and plans to attend graduate school and become a crop consultant working in the seed industry. Angel is involved in many extracurricular activities at OSU. He has made it a goal to give back and help others with his similar background and wants to make an impact in the Oregon seed industry.
Lucas Bobadilla
2017 William Kent Wiley Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Lucas grew up in Brazil around his grandfather’s farm, which birthed his love of agriculture and his desire to improve practices. He is currently a first year graduate student studying the frequency and distribution of Glyphosate resistant populations of annual ryegrass. In 2015, he spent a year as a research assistant in the weed science lab at U.C. Davis, and previously worked as an intern studying the control of the weed Elesine indica in sugar cane in Brazil. Lucas is a twice-published co-author of research papers. Lucas has a strong desire to impact agriculture and is working on issues that directly affect the seed industry.
Tara Bergland
2017 William Kent Wiley Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Tara Bergland is a first year graduate student researching the efficacy of plant growth regulator mixtures on seed yield and yield components in tall fescue. She has volunteered in the OSU Dairy Barn as well as doing trail maintenance for Corvallis parks. In 2013, while traveling in Tanzania, she was able to see different sides of agriculture, including coffee and sugar cane farms. That experience helped her realize that she cares about agriculture and working to improve processes which will in turn impact people throughout the world.
2016
Jessie Stone
2016 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Jessie is pursuing dual degrees at Arizona State University. She is majoring in Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU’s downtown campus. In addition, she also attends the WP Carey School of Business. She plans to graduate with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a B.S. in Business Marketing. Jessie is the daughter of Kyle and Cindy Stone.
Morgan Aerni
2016 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Morgan, a 2013 West Albany graduate, now attends Oregon State University and plans to complete her BSc in Animal Sciences. She plans to become a veterinarian with hopes that she will one day have her own practice. Morgan is the daughter of Steve and Nancy Aerni.
My past scholarships awards have helped ease the financial strain of attending Oregon State. (My parents are paying for half of my schooling.) Receiving awards has allowed me to further my education and make payments easier on my family. I have wanted to become a veterinarian since I was little, and accepting the scholarships will allow me to have a financial backing to proceed to veterinary school. Accepting the scholarships means a great deal to me, it shows me that my hard work is paying off. Many people drop out of college because of financial reasons or the classes weren’t for them. Being in my junior year at OSU, I have realized that these past few years have prepared me for the years to come.
Elizabeth Hayes
2016 OSA/OSU Scholarship
2016 ASTA Scholarship
Elizabeth, a post-baccalaureate student at Oregon State University received a OSA/OSU scholarship and a ASTA scholarship. Elizabeth is currently employed by Sure Crop Farm Service in Junction City as a crop scout and agronomist in training. Her major interests are in crop advising and consulting with local growers in the south valley. She plans to pursue a career as a certified crop adviser. Elizabeth works part-time for the Crop Science department at OSU with the forage research project focusing on the importance and diversity of forage production in Oregon. She is currently working on a project for the Oregon Clover Commission to develop marketing materials for clover seed.
Karina Lopez-Ruiz
2016 OSA Memorial Scholarship
Karina will be pursuing a career as a pediatrician at Oregon State University in the fall of 2016. She plans to complete her pre-med studies at OSU before applying to medical schools. She also hopes to pursue her longtime dream of being a Peace Corp volunteer. “Ensuring children a healthy life from the beginning strongly impacts both their future lives and our entire society,” said Karina. She is the daughter of Jorge Ruiz Vasques and Eloisa Lopez De Ruiz
