MCGA scholarships bring education in reach for exceptional students
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
There is a lot of talent out there. For many young people, one of the biggest obstacles to getting the education and training that will lead to a stellar career is finances.
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) offers four $5,000 scholarships to students pursuing a post-secondary education to help put that degree pathway in reach. With this scholarship, young people pursuing agriculture degrees and/or careers can more easily afford to do so. Applicants must be young-adult members of MCGA.
[More: Learn more about MCGA and National Corn Growers Association scholarship opportunities]
With the 2022 MCGA scholarship now open for applications, we checked in with our first scholarship recipients to see where their education has taken them. Both Brooke Hoffbeck and Emelia Melson, who received the scholarship in 2019, feel this scholarship has made all the difference in their academic careers.
Brooke Hoffbeck
Morgan, Minnesota
Hoffbeck, who’s in her third year at South Dakota State University, plans to graduate by next December and pursue a career in agronomy sales.
She just earned her American FFA Degree, which is the organization’s highest honor and is attained by less than 1% of members. As a high school upperclassman, Hoffbeck operated her own corn and soybean farm on 12 acres she rented from her parents and did an agronomy sales project with her family’s business. The efforts helped her earn the degree.
Agronomy and leadership have been the twin passions Hoffbeck has cultivated at South Dakota State. On Nov. 11, she was one of roughly 800 students to attend a national Agriculture Future of America (AFA) leadership conference. She said AFA provides students training in all sorts of topics in agriculture.
“They bring in speakers and supporters,” she said. “We can connect with businesses at a career fair, and also connect with other young professionals in agriculture. That’s something that I enjoy.”
Hoffbeck finds that she relishes the hands-on aspect of her classes in soil fertility, plant nutrient management and corn production. Growing up, she got to see what farmers did on a daily basis. But now, she said, “I can more fully understand the decisions they have to make, whether it would be the product that I will be selling them someday, or other products they will have to be purchasing for their farms.”
“My key agronomy classes have been so beneficial to me,” she said.
By the time she graduates, Hoffbeck will have had internships in agronomy sales, crop protection sales and seed sales.
Emelia Melson
Trimont, Minnesota
Melson graduated in three years from the University of Minnesota with a double major in applied economics and agriculture communications and marketing. She now works at Cargill as a grain origination sales associate, helping western Minnesota farmers get the best price for their grain and risk-management products that suit their farm operations.
During college, Melson interned with Bayer Crop Science, doing seed sales for its DeKalb-Asgrow division in Michigan and participating in the commercial-insights team at its Climate FieldView Division in St. Louis.
Melson grew up on a crop and swine-production farm. During her freshman year of college, she was a Minnesota Pork Ambassador, and she still is passionate for animal agriculture. She sees a bright future ahead for livestock production and a whole spectrum of other types of farming, both conventional and organic.
“What I see in the future is acceptance for all types of farming,” Melson said. “Whether someone does the kind of farming you do, or they do something different, agriculture is agriculture, and we all have to band together and realize that.”
Melson credits her Martin County West High School ag teachers, Stephanie Wohlhuter and Jessica and Jeremy Daberkow, for helping her find her career path. Among the advice they provided was to seek scholarships to help fund her education.
“I was so excited about winning the MCGA scholarship,” Melson said. “Getting a scholarship economically in line with how expensive college is is a game-changer, and I think it would be a game-changer for anybody seeking a college degree.”
