are recipients of $5,000 NAFB Foundation scholarships named after legendary NAFB members:
Glen Kummerow, George Logan and Orion Samuelson.
During the 71st NAFB Convention three college students were award the 2014 NAFB Foundation Scholarships. This year’s winners are highlighted below.
Liz Koehler, winner of NAFB Foundation’s Orion Samuelson Scholarship, is a senior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign studying agricultural communications. Her focus is broadcast journalism, and she is minoring in environmental economics and law and getting her public relations certificate. After graduation, she plans to combine these to report news for an agriculture radio station. Being raised on her family’s grain farm grew her love of agriculture. During those years, she was involved in 4-H and FFA where she learned how important communicating agriculture is for the industry. She joined the 4-H House Cooperative Sorority at the University of Illinois, where she spent time on the Executive Board and helped plan events. Also, she is involved in Illini Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow, ACES Council and Illini Limnologists. Liz also has been a student member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting since 2013. Liz held previous internships with Farm Credit Illinois during the summer of 2012 and the Illinois Farm Bureau during the summers of 2013 and of 2014. Also, Liz has worked for the Division of Nutritional Sciences since she was a sophomore as their marketing intern.
Joel Penhorwood, winner of NAFB Foundation’s Glen Kummerow Scholarship, is currently a junior at The Ohio State University where he is majoring in agricultural communications. Joel comes from the agricultural community of West Mansfield, OH, where he grew up on a small farm raising steers, hogs, chickens, and goats for market and show. He remains heavily involved on the farm along with his grandparents’ goat and hay operation in addition to his family’s 1000-head dairy farm, where he spent his high school summers and weekends milking. Joel’s family includes his parents Mark and Terri Penhorwood, along with his two older brothers, Josh and Jordan. As a farm kid, an important piece of Joel’s life growing up was 4-H and FFA. His serious interest in radio started when, in high school, a family friend and Ohio farm broadcaster, encouraged him to participate in the FFA’s Agricultural Communications Career Development Event. “The thought that I could take part in farm broadcasting, a staple of agricultural news that I grew up fascinated with, would not soon leave me,” Joel said. After graduation, Joel was hired by WPKO/WBLL (Bellefontaine, OH) as an intern in their news department. After working there for two summers, and learning the ins and outs of radio from veterans of the airwaves, Bart Johnson (Ohio Ag Net, Columbus, OH) approached Joel at the beginning of his sophomore year at OSU and offered him a job. “I currently work for the Ohio Ag Net and Ohio’s Country Journal in the capacity of farm broadcaster/reporter, learning more and more about radio and news while becoming more deeply involved in Ohio and American agriculture,” Joel said. Outside of radio, Joel stays busy in several student organizations including the Ohio State chapter of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and Collegiate Young Farmers. Joel is currently working towards his private pilot’s license, enjoys photography, travel, and writing, and stays involved in his home church.
Shannon Yokley, winner of NAFB Foundation’s George Logan Scholarship, is a senior majoring in science and agricultural journalism with minors in agricultural education, leadership and agricultural economics at the University of Missouri. She will graduate in May 2015. Shannon is from Jefferson City, MO, where she and her parents, Wayne and Karen, raise registered Angus cattle. Shannon was in 4-H and FFA where she held various leadership positions. She has been exhibiting cattle on local, state and national levels since age eight. Through her experiences showing cattle, she developed a love for livestock and the agriculture industry. She served as president of the Missouri Junior Cattlemen’s Association and first vice-president of the Missouri Junior Angus Association. During 2012-2013, she was an ambassador for the Angus breed during her reign as Missouri Angus Queen. On campus at MU, Shannon loves interacting with other young agriculturalists who share common passions. She served as president of Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority, first vice-president of Mizzou Collegiate Farm Bureau, treasurer of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and secretary of Mizzou Collegiate Cattlewomen. She is a College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Peer Career Coach, member of the CAFNR Student Development Board and was on the CAFNR Week Steering Committee. Shannon is a member of the 2014 Mizzou Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Team. She was named the 2014 CAFNR Outstanding Junior. During June 2014, Shannon studied abroad in Toulouse, France, where she studied the French language, agriculture and viticulture. Currently, she is an intern with Brownfield Ag News and also serves as the TV/News Intern for MU Extension Cooperative Media Group. Shannon is a student guest blogger for FCS Financial. Shannon said “I have the best of both worlds when it comes to my major.” She combines her agricultural roots with her passion for storytelling. Shannon plans to continue her education by pursuing a Master’s Degree in agricultural communications. Future plans include continuing her herd of Angus cattle and opening her own agricultural communications firm in Missouri.
