KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carly Wheeler, Templeton, Calif., was awarded a $2,000 Western States Scholarship at the 2023 Western States National Hereford Show in Reno, Nev., Dec. 2. This scholarship is given to a high achieving member of the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) on behalf of the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and the Western States Hereford Association.

Wheeler is a freshman at Oklahoma State University majoring in agriculture communications. She has an upcoming internship with Rule Supplements focusing on marketing and social media strategies and wants to pursue a career similar upon graduation. She is an active member of the California Junior Hereford Association and has seen much success in the Reno junior showring over the years, including showing the champion owned female in 2017 and the champion bred-and-owned female in 2019.

“The foundation is very proud of this year’s scholarship recipients in Reno and the HYFA Board of Directors offers a great deal of thanks to the Western States Hereford Association for helping build HYFA’s scholarship pillar and build our young people for their future careers,” says Amy Cowan, Director of Youth Activities and Foundation for the American Hereford Association.

The Western States Hereford Association awarded a total of $6,000 this year and these scholarships are part of more than $220,000 that was disbursed from HYFA in 2023. Applications for the spring HYFA scholarships are due April 1 and Western States Hereford scholarships will open in the fall of 2024 and may be found by visiting herefordyouthfoundation.org.

###

The Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) was established in 1986 and is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated exclusively to scholarship and educational support of youth in the business of raising Hereford cattle. The mission of the Hereford Youth Foundation of America is to encourage, recognize and reward the development of life skills and values in the next generation of leaders by providing education, scholarship and leadership opportunities for Hereford Youth.