Tekoa, WA Native Wins National Ag Scholarship

Syngenta Group is helping to send six Ag focused college students through its 2021 Accelerating a Generation Syngenta Scholarship Program. Six students from across the U.S. were awarded a $2,500 scholarship each. One of those winners calls the Pacific Northwest home, Elise Wilkins is from Tekoa, WA.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to attend [Montana State University] just due to the out of state tuition cost. Now I'm able to get my bachelor's degree and study through the honors program here. So I was very, very excited to say the least."

The 2021 scholarship program was the result of a partnership between Syngenta and the National FFA Organization. Wilkins added that she hopes to return to the Inland Northwest to pursue a career in Ag Business Management.

"We have a lot of useful Ag businesses from Eastern Washington. So I'd love to get my hands dirty in that aspect. I'd love to stay rural just because I grew up rurally and I've seen the impacts of what growing up in a rural town can do for you."

Each scholarship winner also individually selected an agriculture-related non-profit organization for a $500 gift. Wilkins chose Second Chance Ranch of Spokane, a sanctuary for retire sport horses that offers animal-assisted therapy. 

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