Financial Assistance for Outstanding Students
Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow offers three $3,000 scholarships to incoming undergraduate students who have completed and passed the Introductory to Dairy course and at least one of the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow certification exams and associated course work by June 1, 2027.
The purpose of these scholarships is to provide recognition, encouragement, and financial assistance to outstanding students enrolled in academic programs that may support the dairy industry.
To Be Eligible, Students Must:
- Be a graduating high school senior enrolled in a college or university beginning in the fall following graduation.
- Completed and passed the Introductory to Dairy course and exam.
- Completed and passed at least one of the other DLT courses and exams.
To Apply, Students Must:
- Complete the online DLT Student Scholarship Application.
- Submit a letter of recommendation from their agriculture educator to us at scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
- Submit a recent and accurate school transcript to us at scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
- Submit a photo of themselves to us at scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
Selection of the scholarship winners will be based on the completed application within the following criteria: academic performance; evidence of leadership, character, and integrity; application compliance and commitment to working in or promoting the dairy industry after graduation. There is no GPA requirement. However, a student’s GPA is taken into consideration within the academic performance category.
Applications are closed!
Applications will be accepted from March 1 – June 1, 2027.
If you have any questions about the application, please feel free to contact Michelle Shearer by phone at 570-768-8316 or via email at mshearer@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
Congratulations to the 2026 Scholarship Winners!
Congratulations to this year’s Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow Student Scholarship recipients! Norah Bechtel of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Mattie Casner of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and Erin Judd of Goshen, Massachusettss were each recently awarded $3,000 scholarships to support their academic studies in dairy-related fields at a college or university this fall. Norah, Mattie, and Erin were selected based on their academic performance, evidence of leadership, character and integrity, and their commitment to pursuing a future career in dairy.
Norah Bechtel
Norah Bechtel is a freshman studying animal science at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the daughter of Jason and Sarah Bechtel of Curryville, Blair County, Pennsylvania. Norah served as the President of her school’s FFA Chapter and was a member of Pennsylvania’s 4-H Dairy Judging Team. Throughout high school, the DLT program helped Norah think deeper about which career path interested her within the dairy industry. She hopes to one day pursue a career in animal nutrition, helping dairy farmers feed their herds efficiently to meet their production needs.
Mattie Casner
Mattie Casner is a freshman studying animal science at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the daughter of John and Sara Casner of Petersburg, Huntingdon County. Mattie served on her FFA Chapter’s officer team and also created and grew her own string of show cattle. She did not grow up on a dairy farm, so the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow coursework had a large impact on Mattie’s view of the dairy industry, influencing her to want to learn more and pursue a career in dairy. She hopes to find a future career in dairy genetics to help farmers improve their herds through informed genetic decisions.
Erin Judd
Erin Judd is a freshman studying animal science at SUNY Cobleskill. She is the daughter of April and Albert Judd of Goshen, Massachusetts. Erin served as the Reporter for her FFA Chapter and helped lead several fundraisers and open houses. She was also a member of the New England Junior Holstein Association for five years. Erin credits the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow courses for teaching her real-world skills that she applies on the farm, including herd health and reproduction lessons. In the future, Erin hopes to work as a genetics consultant in the dairy industry.
Feel free to contact Michelle Shearer at mshearer@centerfordairyexcellence.org with any questions.
2027 Scholarship Applications will be accepted from March 1 – June 1, 2027.