MADISON, Wis. — Nolan Hornecker, Casper, Wyo., was awarded the $2,000 John Wayne Memorial Scholarship during the 2026 VitaFerm^®  Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE). This scholarship was presented at the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) Scholarship, Award and Maroon Jacket Ceremony on July 9 in Madison, Wis. 

The John Wayne Memorial Scholarship honors the legacy of John Wayne — a renowned actor, agriculturalist and Hereford breeder — by recognizing a deserving college student who has made significant contributions to the agricultural industry and the Hereford breed. 

“It is always a privilege to participate in the HYFA scholarship process and support the next generation of young leaders as they pursue their academic and professional aspirations,” says Lindsey Jacobs, National Hereford Women board member. “Each year, we are fortunate to receive applications from an increasingly talented and accomplished group of candidates, making our selection process that much harder. Seeing the growth, strength and perseverance of this next generation reaffirms the bright future that we have as an organization and as an industry.” 

During the 2026 JNHE, HYFA awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships and awards to exemplary Hereford youth and will allocate more than $220,000 throughout the year to support junior members in their academic pursuits.  

Hornecker is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in agriculture business and previously received his double-major associate’s degree from Casper College in geographic information systems (GIS) and agriculture business.

His professional goals include entrepreneurship — building businesses both within the livestock industry and agricultural technology space. He is interested in utilizing his background in GIS to create something that can help producers make better decisions and improve efficiency. 

He also hopes to start a nonprofit foundation focused on mental health and suicide awareness in agriculture.

“This is something I care a lot about because agriculture is a tough, stigma-driven industry where people often don’t talk about what they are going through. There are not enough resources available, and I want to be someone who helps change that. Being able to support people in agriculture and give them access to help is something that would mean a lot to me,” Hornecker says. “At the end of the day, I want my legacy to be built on faith, family and hard work.”

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The Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) was established in 2000 and is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to its four core pillars of scholarship, leadership, education and research. The mission of HYFA 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. For more information about HYFA, visit Herefordyouthfoundation.org. 

Find photos and press release here.