GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Lauren Gatz, Fairview, Kan., was selected as the recipient of the Mead Memorial $2,000 Scholarship at the 2024 Vitaferm^®Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) Scholarship, Award and Maroon Jacket Ceremony on July 11 in Grand Island, Neb. 

Lauren Gatz is a senior at Kansas State University where she is majoring in agricultural communications and journalism with minors in leadership studies and marketing. Gatz hopes to pursue a career within the communications and marketing field. 

Gatz has been a member of the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) for 14 years. “My involvement in the NJHA has been instrumental in shaping who I am today. The NJHA has fueled my passion for agriculture and the livestock industry,” Gatz said. “As a result of taking advantage of the wide range of opportunities that are available within the organization, I have learned that success is achieved by dedicating myself to what I am passionate about.” 

Mead Cattle Enterprises, Midville, Ga., has been breeding Hereford cattle for more than 40 years. As original members of the Pro Performance Breeders group, they supported young Hereford enthusiasts. In 2020, the Mead family lost two vital members of their Hereford operation, owner Tommy Mead's mother, Hazel Mead, and his wife, Valarie Mead. In 2021, family and friends came together to honor Hazel and Valarie by establishing the Mead Family Memorial Scholarship Endowment. 

Tommy Mead reviewed scholarship applications this spring. “This scholarship was established in memory of my wife and mother, following their passing,” Mead said. “We were blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people and thought this would be a meaningful way to honor them while giving back to the Hereford family. I was grateful to be invited to serve on the committee, which faced the challenging task of selecting recipients from an exceptionally talented group of applicants.” 

HYFA awarded $40,000 to outstanding Hereford youth at the 2024 JNHE and will award more than $200,000 throughout the year to deserving junior members to aid in their academic endeavors. 

### 

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.