KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kaylee Lunsford, Fort Scott, Kan., was awarded the 2023 Ball Foundation/Cottonwood Springs Farm Scholarship  during the 2023 American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting and Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 20. In a special awards ceremony, the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and its donors proudly awarded $163,000 in scholarships to 27 National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members to help support their higher-education goals.

Lunsford is a freshman at Oklahoma State University (OSU) studying animal science and international agriculture leadership. A recent recipient of the NJHA Golden Bull Achievement Award, a coveted award for junior members each spring, she has goals of entering international agriculture to promote the U.S. agriculture industry. As a certified scuba instructor, she volunteers with the Scuba Schools International Scuba Rangers Program as an assistant instructor and has developed a passion for assisting the next generation through this program.

“This program has shown me that investing in future generations and striving to be a quality leader or role model is something that is important and essential for the future of my community,” said Lunsford. “My current goal is to complete my double major in animal science and international agriculture leadership at OSU (Oklahoma State University), where I plan to continue using these experiences to dedicate my life to agriculture and investing in future generations. ”

The $5,000 scholarship honors the legacy of Nancy Keilty’s late father and mother, Ed and Virginia Ball. They instilled in her the mentality of always “leaving the campsite better than you found it,” and this scholarship is designed to recognize a Hereford junior with the same mentality. Nancy and her husband, Tim, own Cottonwood Springs Farm, in Cedar, Mich., where they raise Hereford cattle and focus on their Leelanau Natural Beef program, offering home grown beef to local consumers.

“The foundation takes great pride in our scholarship program and the opportunities we are able to provide to assist our young people throughout their college journeys,” says Amy Cowan, AHA’s director of youth activities and foundation. “The selection committee continues to be impressed by the high caliber of applicants and are confident that today’s NJHA members will be tomorrow’s leaders in whatever industry they pursue.” 

The scholarship fund is the bedrock of HYFA and countless youth are benefactors of its mission. This last fiscal year, the foundation celebrated net assets reaching more than $6.3 million and in total $221,500 was given back to Hereford youth to assist with their college educations. 

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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.