George Sprague, Eugene, Ore., of the HYFA Scholarship Committee alongside scholarship recipient, Lauren Gatz, Fairview, Kan., 2022 National Hereford Queen. Alongside her is Shannon Worrell, Mason, Texas, National Hereford Women Chairman and Kathy Buchholz, Waxahachie, Texas of the HYFA Board.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — High achieving Hereford youth were awarded numerous scholarships during the 2022 American Hereford Association Annual Meeting and Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 21. In a special awards ceremony, the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and its donors proudly awarded $165,000 in scholarships to 28 National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members to help support their higher-education goals.

The 2022 National Hereford Queen, Lauren Gatz, Fairview, Kan., completed her reign and received a $10,000 scholarship during the National Hereford Show at the American Royal in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 23. The National Queen Scholarship is the result of the National Hereford Women (NHW) partnering with HYFA to elevate the queen program and to annually assist the queen with her education and tuition costs. 

Lauren attends Kansas State University and is a sophomore majoring in agricultural communications and journalism. Within her role as the National Hereford Queen, she is responsible for hosting a charity event. This year, she hosted a cornhole tournament titled, Cornhole for a Cause during the 2022 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo in Louisville, Ky. Proceeds went to Norton Children’s Hospital in the city of Louisville. 

The National Hereford Queen is elected to represent the breed at national shows, sales and events and serves as a historic symbol of the Hereford breed. The National Hereford Queen program is supported by the NHW, who work throughout the year with the many state queens and help foster and organize the interview and application process and coronation. 

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 nearly $5 million and in total $185,000 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.