KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Bruns, North Platte, Neb., and Tucker Rohrig, Orient, Iowa, were recently named 2024 Livestock Marketeers Scholarship recipients.

Livestock Marketeers — an organization of livestock marketing professionals — awarded two scholarships this summer to college-age students interested in pursuing a career in the livestock marketing industry. This was the first year Livestock Marketeers offered scholarships, which were coordinated by the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA).

“This scholarship was created to help cultivate the next generation of livestock marketing professionals. On behalf of the Livestock Marketeers we are proud to do our part to further the education and help develop careers in our industry,” says Colt Keffer, CK Sales and Marketing and scholarship committee member. Applicant requirements included affiliation with a livestock organization and an interest in pursuing a career in livestock marketing.

Bruns received the inaugural $1,500 Livestock Marketeers Scholarship during the 2024 VitaFerm® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) in Grand Island, Neb., on July 11. Bruns is a junior at Kansas State University, where he is studying animal sciences and industry and agricultural business. He is a nine-year member of the Nebraska Junior Hereford Association and National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA). He was elected to the NJHA board of directors at the 2024 JNHE. After college, Bruns intends to pursue a career in livestock marketing and hopes to be an auctioneer. He also plans to continue raising cattle with his family while building his own cow herd.

Rohrig received the second $1,500 Livestock Marketeers scholarship during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa. Rohrig and his family own a show pig operation. He has shown pigs since he was eight years old and Hereford cattle before that. Rohrig is a member of the Iowa Junior Beef Breed Association Junior Board and the Iowa Swine Jackpot Series. He will be a freshman at Iowa State University, where he plans to major in animal science and agriculture business. He also plans to attend auctioneer school in the near future. Rohrig currently serves as an Iowa state FFA officer and has career plans of being part of the beef industry, working sales and traveling the state. 

The Livestock Marketeers Scholarship fund was established at the organization’s annual Hall of Fame Banquet in 2023. Livestock Marketeers gathered $23,000 from its members to begin the scholarship fund. Since then, they have added an additional $20,000 and have increased initial scholarship payouts.

The Livestock Marketeers scholarship fund is managed by HYFA. Contributions to the fund can be made via acowan@hereford.org. Applications for the 2025 scholarships will open in the spring and be due on April 15, 2025.

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Livestock Marketeers was established in 1965. It promotes the livestock marketing industry and recognizes the efforts of individual professionals within the industry.