The dairy checkoff awarded 12 academic scholarships to students enrolled in programs that emphasize dairy and who have shown potential to become future dairy leaders.

The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff, annually awards $2,500 scholarships to 11 students. In addition, the NDB awarded a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient.

Eligible majors include journalism, communications/public relations, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science, animal science and agriculture education. Scholarship criteria include academic achievement, a career interest in a dairy-related discipline, along with demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity.

Kylie Konyn (pictured), a University of Wisconsin-Madison student who is majoring in dairy science, has earned the 2023-24 Loper scholarship. 

Students earning $2,500 scholarships are: Tyler Bohnert (University of Wisconsin-Platteville), Chloe Calhoun (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Grace Clark (Iowa State University), Doreen Dyt (California Polytechnic State University), Hannah Even (Iowa State University), Dina Graves (Clemson University), Katie Hebdon (University of Idaho), Margaret Molitor (South Dakota State University), Irene Nielsen (Iowa State University), Natalie Roe (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Stephen Zheng (University of Wisconsin-Madison).