KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wesley Denton, Blue Rapids, Kan., was awarded the CBY Polled Herefords, Bob and Dolores Call 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.

A senior at Kansas State University, Denton will be receiving his degree in animal sciences and industry in the spring of 2024. His career goals center around the beef production industry, wanting to work as a cattle buyer or beef merchandiser, while also assisting with carrying on his family’s operation, Springhill Herefords. He is in his final year serving on the NJHA board of directors and has succeeded inside and out of the showring, learning some impactful lessons throughout his junior career.

“Showing and raising Hereford cattle taught me how to keep records, how to lose with grace, and that there are always opportunities to improve,” said Denton. “Being a NJHA member has helped me increase my confidence, enhance my public speaking skills and has greatly impacted the person I am today and who I strive to be.”

The CBY Polled Herefords, Bob and Dolores Call Scholarship, sponsored by HYFA, is a $5,000 scholarship offered in honor of Dolores Call and her late husband, Bob. Bob was a founding member of the HYFA board of directors and an integral part of building the framework for the scholarship pillar that is making a difference for so many young people.

“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.