Alexis Main, an Oklahoma State University student, and Les Voyageurs, a Louisiana State University club, took home the top prizes in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2023 College Aggies Online scholarship program. Throughout the nine weeks, $20,000 was awarded in scholarships to participating students and clubs.
The 2023 CAO program had 344 registered individuals, the largest participation number in five years. Fourteen collegiate clubs registered and hosted 33 campus and community events, reaching more than 10,000 people and donating 6,440 pounds of food to local pantries.
CAO is an initiative of the Alliance that connects college students, industry experts, and social media-savvy farmers to engage online about current and emerging issues facing the animal agriculture community.
Throughout the competition, students learn how to spread positive, factual information about agriculture and tell their personal stories while actively developing their professional communication skills. In the club division, students host farm tours, campus events, food drives, and more to engage with their peers about agriculture.
“This nine-week program is truly amazing for any college student interested in animal agriculture,” said Alexis Main, 2023 first place individual winner. “I have come so far from two years ago with content creation, graphic design, and sharing animal agriculture’s story through this program. If you are a college student or know a college student interested in animal agriculture, this is definitely the program for them and I highly encourage everyone to sign up next fall!”
The overall winners from the individual division are:
- First place, $3,000 scholarship: Alexis Main, Oklahoma State University
- Second place, $2,000 scholarship: Emma Zaicow, Purdue University
- Third place, $1,500 scholarship: Breanna Selsor, Iowa State University
- Fourth place, $1,000 scholarship: Addison Mitchell, South Central College
- Fifth place, $500 scholarship: Ty Rich, Washington State University
The overall winners from the club division are:
- First place, $2,000 scholarship: Louisiana State University Les Voyageurs
- Second place, $1,000 scholarship: Oklahoma State University Collegiate Cattlewomen
- Third place, $500 scholarship: Washington State University Animal Sciences Graduate Student Association
Overall individual and club winners will be recognized at the Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit, set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo. Throughout the program, students also earned smaller scholarships for having the best social media posts, blog posts, infographics, and more. Emma Zaicow was awarded the “Social Media Rockstar Award” for having the best social media post in this year’s program.
Individuals who earn at least 1,200 points and clubs that submit at least three events are eligible for the “Excellence Award,” which indicates their commitment to maximizing the opportunities offered by the program to develop their skills.
This year’s individual recipients are:
Aidan Adkison, Lola Breshears, Hunter Cole, Abigail Dewert, Paige Keith, Lauren Kelly, Alexis Main, Taylor Miller, Addison Mitchell, Jami Musshafen, Anastasia Poull, Ty Rich, Catherine Schreit, Breanna Selsor, Naomi Soden, Karmen Sperr, Michelle Stangler, Jenna Stark, and Emma Zaicow. Club recipients include Louisiana State University Les Voyageurs, Oklahoma State University Collegiate Cattlewomen, Tarleton State University Block & Bridle, University of Florida Gator Collegiate Cattlewomen, and Washington State University Animal Sciences Graduate Student Association.