HYFA Scholarship Committee member, George Sprague, Eugene, Ore., presents two $5,000 EE Ranches Scholarships to Jacob Johnson, Ruth, Miss. and Dylan Kottkamp, Clayton, Ind., along with Ray Ramsey, HYFA Board President.

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.

EE Ranches annually sponsors two $5,000 scholarships through HYFA. These scholarships are made possible by Jo Ellard and her late husband, Bill, of Texas. EE Ranches was one of HYFA’s first scholarship endowments; the funds have assisted many youth in the achievement of their goals since its inception. The recipients of the 2022 EE Ranches scholarships are Jacob Johnson, Ruth, Miss., and Dylan Kottkamp, Clayton, Ind.

Jacob Johnson, Ruth, Miss., is a senior at Kansas State University majoring in animal science in industry. Johnson began raising Herefords six years ago and then fell in love with the versatility of the breed. To him a successful life is a balance of characteristics and he admires George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Billy Graham as his models. 

Dylan Kottkamp, Clayton, Ind., is a junior at Oklahoma State University studying agribusiness pre-law. He is dedicated to growing and developing himself and strengthening his mental stability to be both an effective leader and teammate across all facets of life. 

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 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.