Springfield,
IL –
State Sen. Dan Rutherford
(R-Pontiac) is encouraging local high school students to apply for a
state-funded scholarship to promote careers in
agriculture.
The
annual Excellence in Agriculture
Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship awarded to five outstanding high school
seniors to study agriculture at an Illinois college or university by the Office
of the State Treasurer. The deadline for submitting the application is May 15,
2007. The application may be downloaded from the Senator’s Web site at www.DanRutherford.com.
“Agriculture is certainly the backbone to Illinois’ economy, and the linchpin to future growth and
success,” said Rutherford. “This is a great
opportunity for students looking to further their education by studying
agriculture at any of the two-year or four-year colleges in Illinois.”
The
scholarship criteria are as follows:
- A
high school senior with a 2.75 GPA in the 2006-07 school
year
- Accepted at an accredited higher education institution in
Illinois by
May 15, 2007
- Pursing an agriculture or agriculture-related
field
The
application must be postmarked on or before May 15, 2007 and must be submitted
with the following:
- A
typed essay (minimum 250 words) identifying the reason(s) you want to pursue a
career in agriculture or an agriculture-related
field
- An
official high school transcript
- Two
letters of reference, including one from a non-school
source
- A
list of extracurricular activities
- A
statement of goals and future plans