Overview

• Up to 21 $1,500 scholarships in total to be awarded across First Pioneer’s Local Service Area.
• Payment will be made directly to student in June 2008.
• Scholarship can be used to defray the cost of tuition, room and board, books, and other academic charges.
• Applicants are eligible to win this scholarship only once in their educational career.
• Award decision will be based on essay content, extracurricular activities, and commitment in agriculture.
• Winners of scholarship will have priority for First Pioneer internships in summer of their junior year.
  

Eligibility

To apply, an individual pursuing a post-high school education must demonstrate, through their experience, academic program of study, extracurricular activities and career interest statement, significant progress toward and a clear intention for a career related to production agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, or commercial fishing. Applicant must have a permanent residence within the First Pioneer territory.

An associate’s, bachelors, or graduate degree qualifies as post-high school education. Additionally, applicants pursuing a course of study in LEAD New York, New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program, Lead New England, or The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers are also eligible for scholarships.

Application

• Brief application to be fully completed. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Essay of no more than 200 words to be submitted.
• Applicant’s extracurricular activities will also be taken into consideration, especially farm work experience and activities indicative of an interest in pursuing a career in agriculture or agribusiness.
• Original application must be complete, accurate, and received by deadline (fax copies will not be accepted). Quality of answers and short essay is important in terms of correct spelling, grammar, and neatness as well as sincere content that demonstrates the applicant’s interest in agriculture.
• Proof of college or program attendance or acceptance must be submitted before a check can be issued.
• A photo of student suitable for publicity must accompany application for publicity purposes
  

Diversity Scholarship

First Pioneer embraces human diversity in agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing, and within our own cooperative. In furtherance of creating additional educational opportunity, First Pioneer will give priority to at least one scholarship to be selected from among eligible minority candidates. In order to be considered for this scholarship, the candidate must appropriately identify their racial/ethnic status on the application. It is not required that racial/ethnic status be divulged in order to be considered for the other scholarships.

In accordance with the categories used by the Bureau of the Census, US Department of Commerce, eligible minorities include:

• Black or African American
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• Asian
• Spanish, Hispanic or Latino Origin
  

Application process

• Click here for the application (Word doucment)
• Follow the instructions on the application and submit by April 18, 2008

For more information, contact info@firstpioneer.com.

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