Pictured with Lauren McMillan, Tiskilwa, Ill., are scholarship donors Tom, Tammy, Kendall and Kade Boatman, of Perks Ranch, Rockford, Ill.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — High achieving Hereford youth were awarded numerous scholarships during the 2021 American Hereford Association Annual Meeting and Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 22. In a special awards ceremony, the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and its army of donors proudly awarded $160,000 in scholarships to 24 National Junior Hereford Association members to help support their higher-education goals.

The 2021 Perks Ranch Scholarship is in the value of $5,000 given by HYFA. It honors the Perks Ranch of Illinois and highlights Doug Perks’ legacy and leadership during his time on the HYFA board of directors.

Lauren McMillan of Tiskilwa, Ill., is the $5,000 Perks Ranch Scholarship winner. Lauren is majoring in agriculture leadership, education and communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and works on campus as a student intern for the College of ACES. She says her enthusiasm toward leadership and the Hereford breed helps her excel professionally and individually as well as focus on how to help the breed and its members take the next step so they can continuously improve.

The scholarship fund is the cornerstone of HYFA and countless youth are the benefactors of its mission. This last fiscal year, the foundation celebrated net assets reaching an all time high of 5.4 million dollars and $186,000 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.