AgStar Scholars Program Awards $20,000 in Scholarships
10 college juniors received$2,000 scholarships

 MANKATO, Minn. (May 24, 2011) – The AgStar Fund for Rural America, a corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, is pleased to announce the recipients of its Scholars Program. Ten students from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, received $2,000 each.

The AgStar Scholars Program provides education, support and insight to students interested in agricultural financing or agricultural-related careers. Students must be a junior with a GPA of 3.0 or better and be pursuing a degree in an agricultural or business related field to be eligible for the scholarship.

Being selected for this program includes a one-day seminar to provide an overview of agricultural financing in general and AgStar in particular, several lectures about agricultural financing, the opportunity to complete a rural or agriculture-related research project and the opportunity for a paid internship with AgStar.

“Shaping the future of agriculture through today’s energetic youth is a passion of AgStar and we thrive on programs like this because it not only allows us to give them vital information about the field, but it also allows us to see their excitement for agriculture,” said Paul DeBriyn, president and CEO of AgStar Financial Services. 

Below is a list of the 2011 recipients, the school they attend and their majors. 

Student Name

School

Major(s)

Melissa Anderson

UWRF

Business Administration and Finance

Josh Gunderson

UWRF

Ag Business

Kevin Volland

UWRF

Ag Business

Nathan Brandt

UWRF

Dairy Science

Dustin Lopez

U of M

Business Finance, Animal Science Livestock Production

Kevin Schweer

U of M

Applied Economics

Andrew Kryzer

U of M

Animal Science

Megan Rasmussen

U of M

Applied Economics, Marketing and Communications

Kristen Wingert

U of M

Ag Education

Katie Zenk

U of M

Applied Economics

To date, the Fund has given $116,000 in scholarships to 58 students through the Scholars Program, which began in 2003. Since its inception in 2001, the AgStar Fund has donated more than $3 million to organizations working to improve the future of rural America.

 About AgStar:

AgStar Financial Services, ACA, headquartered in Mankato, Minn., employs more than 600 full-time team members. The company is part of the national Farm Credit System and has a public mission to serve 69 counties in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. AgStar’s industry specialization, client segments and market delivery systems result in diversification nationwide. The company has expertise in the corn, soybean, swine, dairy and bio-energy industries. AgStar has developed successful programs in loans, leases, crop insurance, tax services, accounting, consulting and rural home mortgages. As a value-added financial services cooperative, AgStar allocates patronage dividends to its more than 13,000 stockholders. Visit www.AgStar.com for more information.

Contact:  Samantha Schommer
                    Samantha.Schommer@AgStar.com
                   507-389-4994

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