LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Outstanding Hereford youth were awarded numerous scholarships during the 2022 VitaFerm® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) Banners in the Bluegrass Awards Ceremony in Louisville, Ky., on July 21. The Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) awarded $33,000 alone at this year’s JNHE, and will award more than $200,000 in 2022 to deserving junior members to aid in their academic endeavors.

The inaugural Ostgaard-Breiner Educational Scholarship, made possible by the NHW and HYFA, is geared toward non-traditional students wanting to go into a technical field, graduate school, trade school, certification or other acceptable program. Two $1,500 scholarships were awarded to NHW Board Member, Bridget Beran, Lawrence, Kan., and AHA member Keayla Harr, Jeromesville, Ohio. Both these young ladies exemplify the same passions and leadership characteristics Ostgaard and Breiner admired most.

In 2019, the National Hereford Women (NHW) Board of Directors lost two of their beloved board members, Mrs. Sandra Adams Ostgaard of Dayton, Ohio, and Mrs. Callea Mae Breiner of Alma, Kan. Sandra was incredibly active with the Hereford breed, serving on the NHW Board, the Ohio Hereford Women President as well as an Ohio Hereford Junior Advisor. She passed her love of the Hereford breed to her children and grandchildren. As a retired high school home economics and elementary teacher, Sandra held education of all forms in high regard. Callea was not only active on the NHW board but was also active in the Kansas Hereford Association and served as a local community 4-H Club Leader. Her love for the Hereford breed continues to be carried on by her husband and sons. As an advanced practice registered nurse, Callea had a love to learn as reflected through her successful pursuit of receiving a doctorate degree.

Bridget Beran is one of two members to receive the first-ever $1,500 Ostgaard-Breiner Educational Scholarship. Beran will begin her final year of law school in the fall, pursuing a law degree with a certificate in international trade and finance law. She fulfills her passion for giving back to agriculture and its future by serving on the NHW Board of Directors and being heavily involved in the National Hereford Queen program. As she finishes her final year of law school, Beran intends to spend a semester working in Washington D.C., immersing herself in a deeper experience in the creation of laws and regulations as they pertain to agriculture. Beran says the Hereford family has always been a driving force in her life and her involvement in the NJHA gave her the courage and confidence to pursue her passions.

Keayla Harr is one of two members to receive the first-ever $1,500 Ostgaard-Breiner Educational Scholarship. Harr will continue her pursuit toward a doctorate degree in meat science with a focus in beef color and the factors affecting beef quality at Oklahoma State University in the fall. Her decision to pursue a graduate degree centered around meat science stems from a desire to make the Hereford breed better and to make Certified Hereford Beef a valued part of the supply chain. Following the completion of her degree, Harr has the goal of teaching and conducting research in meat and animal science at a land grant university. Harr says it was her involvement in the NJHA and the Hereford breed that sparked her passion for agriculture and built her work ethic, integrity and mindset.

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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.