Ag Leader Precision Agriculture Scholarships
Ag Leader Precision Agriculture Scholarships Help Five Iowa State Students Prepare for the Future
As a guest of the third annual Ag Leader student scholarship presentations Tuesday, February 22, I found myself on a trip down memory lane. I remember when I was a student struggling to finance my way through school. That’s why I feel very honored to have met five accomplished Iowa State students whose dream it is to start their careers in agriculture. These students, accompanied by their professor Dr. Matthew Darr, presented to a team of Ag Leader managers and President Al Myers. After the presentations, the students enjoyed a tour of the Ag Leader campus and a dinner with Myers.
As I sat and listened to each student tell his tale of success both in college and through professional internship opportunities, I was more than impressed with their dedication and commitment to the growth and continued development of precision agriculture.
In fact, that’s why President Al Myers partnered with Iowa State University in 2008 to establish the Ag Leader Precision Agriculture Scholarship within the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering (ABE). He explained, “Ag Leader has benefited from the knowledge and expertise of many graduates from ABE at Iowa State University. Our goal is to enhance students’ awareness of and interest in precision agriculture so they are prepared for the ever-changing agriculture industry landscape.”
Best of the Best
Achieving this academic honor is no small feat. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be studying a major with ABE, meet GPA and credit requirements, and be currently enrolled in or have taken a class in precision agriculture.
The recipients of the 2011 Ag Leader Precision Agriculture Scholarship are: Tyler Holst, , Andrew Jungers, Andrew Kilburg, Tyler Knudsen and Cody Volkmann.
Student Perspective
I asked Tyler Knudsen, who is also an Ag Leader intern, what interested him the most about precision agriculture. He explained that steering systems are what first peaked his interest. He said as he continued to learn more about how precision agriculture helps growers become more efficient, that’s when he knew that being on the cutting-edge of technology was the right career for him.
“There is no doubt that my internship at Ag Leader has allowed me to follow my interest and gain a better understanding of precision agriculture equipment. Not only have I learned a large amount of technical knowledge, but I have also gained a greater understanding of how many different pieces of equipment work,” Knudsen explained.
A Job Well Done
On behalf of Ag Leader Technology, I’d like to congratulate these hard-working students and wish them the best in their careers in agriculture. And for any parents who are helping your children prepare for college, a career in precision agriculture could be right up their alley! The next great advancement in agriculture could be theirs!