BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Thirty-five college students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin will be able to continue their education with help from the regional agricultural supply cooperative, GROWMARK. They are recipients of GROWMARK-sponsored scholarships aimed at promoting higher education in agriculture and business.

GROWMARK has been supporting college students with scholarships since the early 1960s. Today, they are awarded to students majoring in agriculture or accounting at 15 universities and colleges. Each educational institution is responsible for the selection process and awarding scholarships. University scholarship recipients are honored each year at the GROWMARK Annual Meeting in Chicago. 

Students receiving scholarships are listed below:

Illinois State University – Nicole Bomberek, of Seneca, Ill.; Theresa Helmink, daughter of Ronald and Jo Ellen Helmink of Montrose, Ill., is majoring in accounting; Kirsten Keener, daughter of James and Michelle Keener of Geneseo, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness; Ryan Sauder, son of Brad and Marci Sauder of Tremont, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and agronomy; Kelsey Vance, daughter of Rick and Patti Vance of Tremont, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and agronomy management.

Illinois Wesleyan University – Annie Sheley, daughter of Lynn and Margie Sheley of Lincoln, Ill., is majoring in accounting.

Iowa State University – Calvin Hefty, son of Brent and Corinna Hefty of La Verne, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural studies; Randy Kuehn, of New Hampton, Iowa; Kaitlyn Lewis, daughter of Marty and Joyce Lewis of Monroe, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural business; Matt McLaughlin, son of Mark McLaughlin of Audubon, Iowa and Mary Grote of Audubon, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural business; Samuel Vigue, son of Arthur and Lavonda Vigue of Brimfield, Ill., is majoring in agronomy.

Kansas State University – Steve Niemeier, son of Keith Niemeier and Laura Lee Rose of Pocahontas, Ill., is majoring in agricultural economics.

Murray State University – Becky Mosbacher, daughter of Steven and Doris Mosbacher of Prairie du Rocher, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness.

Purdue University – D.J. Graper, son of Donnie and Lisa Graper of Fort Branch, Ind., is majoring in agronomic business and marketing.

Southern Illinois University – Carbondale – Ben Arteman, of Bellflower, Ill.; Blake Duesterhaus, son of Daryl Duesterhaus of Mendon, Ill. and Barbara Duesterhaus of Quincy, Ill., is majoring in agricultural systems technology; Kelsey Graber, daughter of John and Julie Graber of Heyworth, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness economics; Jenna Richardson, daughter of Greg and Cheryl Richardson of Cisne, Ill., is majoring in agricultural communications.

University of Illinois – Austin Ashby, son of Jim and Lisa Ashby of Savanna, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business markets and management. He is the recipient of the Herndon Scholarship, established to honor Fred E. Herndon, president of a GROWMARK predecessor company from 1931-1959; Nicolas Dearwester,  son of Matthew and Andrea Dearwester of Camp Point, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business markets and management; Zachary Ferguson, son of Rod and Karen Ferguson of Argenta, Ill., is majoring in crop sciences; Kaitlin Weitekamp, daughter of Larry and Nancy Weitekamp of Raymond, Ill., is majoring in crop sciences.

Wabash College – Scott Hornblower, son of Scott and Ann Hornblower of Ft. Wright, Ky., is majoring in economics.

Western Illinois University – Andy Bulfer, son of Tom and Monica Bulfer of Amboy, Ill., is majoring in agriculture; Michael Hoener, son of Greg and Kathy Hoener of Sutter, Ill., is majoring in agricultural science; Andrew Nelson, son of Ron and Rita Nelson of Geneseo, Ill., is majoring in agricultural science.