WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For her dreams of becoming an agricultural journalist one day, Purdue University sophomore Katherine Kuykendall has been named the recipient of the 2007 Farm World Journalism Scholarship.

“Katherine has a sincere interest in journalism and is very passionate about agriculture, particularly the sheep industry,” said Natalie Federer, academic advisor in the Department of Youth Development and Agricultural Education at Purdue. “She is a fabulous student and someone you can really depend on.”

Kuykendall, a Richland Center, Wis. farm girl is a first-year student in the agricultural communications program at Purdue. She transferred into the program shortly after taking a course in a design program called Adobe InDesign.

Prior to agricultural communications, Kuykendall had not yet declared a major and was searching for a degree that would compliment her interests.

“I took classes through the undergraduate studies program and with that took the time to really learn more about myself and where I wanted to be,” she said. “After looking into a lot of different things, I realized that my heart truly lied within the agriculture industry.”

Since then, Kuykendall has become active in the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and has taken part in numerous professional development activities. Also, she was recently elected the scrapbook and publicity chair for the Block and Bridle Club at Purdue.

Even before Kuykendall attended her first class on the West Lafayette campus, she had started to foster a love for editorial layout, writing and design.

In fact, she was the editor of her high school yearbook for nearly two years.

“I think I really fell in love with publishing at that point,” she said. “(Journalism is) a great way to promote agriculture and make sure that the public sees the best side of the (agriculture) industry, which is really the most important thing.”

With a rich background in agriculture, she plans to pursue a full-time career in journalism, working for a livestock publication.

Kuykendall’s family has been raising and showing sheep since the 1950s, when her grandfather Henry Kuykendall raised Border Cheviots. Kuykendall’s parents, Kevin and Sara, earn a full-time living traveling across the country fitting and showing sheep. Also, the Kuykendalls raise nearly 100 purebred sheep, including Montadales, Border Cheviots and Natural Colored sheep, on their 80-acre property in southern Wisconsin. She hopes to support her love of sheep, by obtaining a career enabling her to write about livestock and agricultural production.

“I hope to be working for a livestock publication, perhaps in an editorial position,” Kuykendall added. “Ultimately, I want to be promoting agriculture and making a different in this industry.”

She plans to graduate in May 2010 and will continue to take more courses in agricultural communications, while completing a minor in animal sciences.

“My goal is to balance out the writing and communications classes with agricultural classes so that I stay connected to that industry,” she said.

Kuykendall’s summer plans will take her back to her hometown in Wisconsin, where she plans to travel to shows with her parents and their 40-head of show sheep.

Additionally, she will take photos for The Banner, an Illinois magazine geared toward the sheep industry.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to take pictures for (The Banner’s editor Greg Deakin) and become involved with the publication,” she said.

According to Federer, who was integral in the selection of the Farm World journalism scholarship, Kuykendall’s passion for agriculture and journalism is genuine.

“I am really loving Purdue and the ag school; I can’t imagine myself anywhere else,” she said about her recent launch into agricultural communications at Purdue.

Every spring, the Farm World Journalism Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding sophomore student in agricultural communications with an interest in pursuing a career and degree in journalism, according to Dave Blower, editor of the Farm World newspaper.

In addition to an application, interested students are asked to submit an essay indicating their future career goals. Once the applications and essays are collected, a committee of Purdue faculty and staff select a recipient. In addition to a plaque, Farm World staff presents the winner with a check for $500.