Minnesota Corn has announced its college scholarship recipients for the 2024-25 school year. Four young-adult members of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association will each receive $5,000 scholarships to further their education.

This year’s scholarship winners are Luke Gordon of Worthington, Kyle Hagen of Glencoe, Sarah Hagenow of Rio, Wisconsin, and Rena Johnson of Buffalo.

Luke Gordon

Gordon is a second-year student at South Dakota State University studying agriculture systems technology and minoring in agriculture business, precision agriculture, and unmanned aviation systems. During college, he has worked as a precision ag support center specialist, a data capture specialist, and an operator and technology specialist for his family farm. He’s also been an SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences ambassador, a member of the SDSU marching band, and involved in multiple agriculture clubs. Gordon eventually hopes to grow his drone spraying business while working as a precision ag support specialist for his local John Deere dealership and maintaining a role on his family farm.

Kyle Hagen

Hagen is a sophomore at South Dakota State studying agriculture systems technology and minoring in agriculture business and precision agriculture. During college, he has worked as a seed lab technician, a farm laborer, and a Golden Harvest intern. He has also been an SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences ambassador and a member of multiple agriculture clubs. After college, he hopes to work in seed or agricultural equipment sales, and eventually he hopes to take over his multi-generation family farm.

Sarah Hagenow

Hagenow is a junior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in agricultural and food business management and minoring in international agriculture. During college, she has worked as a student administrative assistant for the Department of Animal Science, an operations and trading intern for a dairy company, a show cattle intern, and a student research assistant. She’s also participated in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences’ Policy Engagement Program, the University of Minnesota Dairy Judging Team, and the CFANS Mentor Program, among other activities. After college, she hopes to work in agricultural policy.

Rena Johnson

Johnson is a junior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in agricultural education and minoring in agronomy. During college, she has been a University of Minnesota Extension student worker and a farm hand and held internships in agronomy sales, ag teaching, and crop scouting. After graduating, she plans to become an agricultural educator.

Congratulations to these talented students!

About Minnesota Corn

Minnesota Corn is comprised of two distinct organizations—the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council—each with the goal of increasing opportunities for growers while improving quality of life. MCGA advocates on behalf of family corn farmers in St. Paul and Washington, D.C., while supporting county corn growers associations. The MCR&PC invests check-off dollars into research, promotion, and outreach programming aimed at developing markets for corn, increasing on-farm sustainability, and improving quality of life for corn farmers and all Minnesotans.

For more information:

Contact Minnesota Corn’s public relations manager, Nate Gotlieb

952-460-3610, ngotlieb@mncorn.org