Financial Assistance for Outstanding Students
Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow offers two $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, 2026.
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 Michelle Shearer at mshearer@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
- Submit a recent and accurate school transcript to Michelle Shearer at mshearer@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
- Submit a photo of themselves to Michelle Shearer at mshearer@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 NOT being accepted.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2025
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 2025 Scholarship Winners!
Congratulations to this year’s Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow Student Scholarship recipients! Evan Espenshade of Elizabethtown Area High School in Pennsylvania, Madison Mowrer of Juniata Valley High School in Pennsylvania, and Jordan O’Brien of Smith Vo-Ag High School in Massachusetts were each recently awarded $3,000 scholarships to support their academic studies in dairy-related fields at a college or university this fall. Emily and Ava were selected based on their academic performance, evidence of leadership, character and integrity, and their commitment to pursuing a future career in dairy.
Evan Espenshade
Evan Espenshade is a freshman studying animal/dairy science at The Pennsylvania State University – Wilkes-Barre. He is the son of Matt and Charlene Espenshade of Bainbridge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Evan served as the State Reporter for the Pennsylvania FFA Association, and served on the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Guernsey Jr. Breeders Association. Throughout high school, the DLT program helped Evan expand on what he was learning in his animal science classes with direct dairy knowledge that matches his career goals. As the eighth generation on his family’s dairy farm, Evan hopes to one day return to the farm and help modernize the operation and make it sustainable for generations to come.
Madison Mowrer
Madison Mowrer is a freshman studying animal science at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the daughter of Nate and Erica Mowrer of Petersburg, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Madison has been actively involved in her local 4-H program, hosting farm tours on her family’s dairy farm for elementary students to explore calf care, sustainability and more. The DLT program allowed Madison to discover different careers in the dairy industry during her senior year of high school and helped her find her passion for dairy promotion. Her goal is to continue exploring different sectors of the industry and become actively involved in dairy organizations to find a meaningful career path.
Jordyn O’Brien
Jordyn O’Brien is a freshman studying dairy management at SUNY Cobleskill. She is the daughter of Stephen and Julie O’Brien of Belchertown, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Jordyn served as a state officer for the Massachusetts FFA Association, and competed in the Dairy Evaluation contest at the National FFA Convention. During high school, the DLT program helped shape Jordyn’s perspective of the dairy industry by sharing in-depth details on what it takes to own and operate both large-scale and small-scale operations. Jordyn hopes to find a career in dairy genetics and raise her own herd of cows with strong production and genetics.
Feel free to contact Michelle Shearer at mshearer@centerfordairyexcellence.org with any questions.
2026 Scholarship Applications will be accepted from March 1 – June 1, 2026.