Seven aspiring food scholars have been awarded with scholarships from the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA). The organization recently announced its recipients, which have been selected to receive a total of $19,000 in scholarship funds in 2024.
“It is a privilege to assist great students at technical colleges and universities who have expressed interest in careers in the dairy industry. Dairy industry support for these scholarships is an investment in the next generation of dairy processing,” said WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer.
Over 27 years, WCMA has awarded the Myron P. “Mike” Dean Cheese Industry Student Scholarship, worth $3,000 each, to 48 students affiliated with dairy manufacturers and processors. In 2024, this scholarship will be awarded to MaKenzie Skibbie and Gabrielle Renard.
MaKenzie Skibbie is pursuing a degree in Food Science at the University of Wisconsin (UW) – River Falls, with plans to become a cheesemaker or dairy researcher after graduating in May 2025. Gabrielle Renard is a junior at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, studying Animal Science.
Since 1999, 63 WCMA Supplier Student Scholarships, worth $3,000 each, have been awarded to suppliers to the dairy industry and their family members. This year’s winners are Jacob Kirsling, Danielle Mauhar, and Elijah Ronsman.
Jacob Kirsling is a senior at Amherst High School, set to begin his studies in agronomy and crop nutrition at UW-River Falls in the fall of 2024. Danielle Mauhar is a first-year student at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville studying Mechanical Engineering. Elijah Ronsman is a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Since 2021, WCMA has also selected two students each year to receive the Brian Eggebrecht Student Scholarship Supporting Skilled Trades in the Dairy Industry, worth $2,000 each, according to a press release. The 2024 winners of this scholarship are Kendall Luzinski and Aaron Schulz.
Kendall Luzinski is a senior at Thorp High School and a current employee at Dutch Dairy, where her work focuses on dairy calf care and milking assistance. Aaron Schulz, a Maintenance Technician at WCMA member company Sargento Foods, is currently pursuing a degree in Food Safety & Quality at Lakeland University.
The WCMA Student Scholarship Program is funded by the annual Championship Cheese Auction. The next auction will be held during CheeseExpo, scheduled for April 16–18.
