PETTISVILLE, Ohio — Donna Meller, of the Pettisville FFA Alumni was recognized as one of three national achievement recipients at the National FFA Alumni Convention.

Meller has been an FFA alumni member since 2004. She and her family have contributed to the FFA and the alumni on the local, state and national level. She is currently a high school science teacher at Pettisville. She has donated items to the local auction, served as chairman of the recipe contest at the Pumpkin Fest, restarted the school science fair program and assists area ag teachers with their ag research projects. She coaches ag students with their research projects and team teaches with the ag teacher the environmental science curriculum for eighth graders and the environmental science class.

Meller has chaperoned State FFA Convention, worked at the alumni booth and served as an Agriscience Fair judge. She has attended state alumni convention and served as a delegate, chaperoned National FFA Convention, served as an Agriscience Fair judge. She has assisted in the completion of the National Agriscience Student of the Year application for three FFA members. She has also received the Ohio Outstanding Alumni Member Award and the Ohio FFA Honorary Degree. 

ONAGA, Kan. — Louis M. “Mick” Colvin is passionate about beef and young people. That’s why the Certified Angus Beef  (CAB) brand rallies its partners each year to support the scholarship fund that honors its first formal leader by helping collegians reach their goals.

For 2013, $15,000 will be split among five undergraduate scholarships, in the amounts of $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000. 

College juniors and seniors who have shown commitment to the beef industry, either through coursework or activities, are encouraged to apply by the Dec. 7 deadline. Applications are evaluated on involvement and scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference letters.

A $5,000 graduate level scholarship will also be awarded to a full-time masters or doctorate student conducting research related to high-quality beef production. Applications for that award are due Jan. 11, 2013.

“The graduate level scholarship builds on what the Colvin Scholarship has always done,” says Mick Colvin, who co-founded Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) in 1978 and served as its chief officer for 22 years. “We will help groom the next great scientist supporting premium beef.”

The funds given have more than doubled since 2009. 

Those supporters raised nearly $75,000 in scholarship monies at a golf outing and auction held during the brand’s annual conference this year in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The dollars go into an account that generates the interest proceeds used to fund these scholarships each year. That ensures the longevity of the program and its impact on the industry.

The 2013 golf outing sponsorship was purchased by Palmer Food Services/G&C Food Distributors, Rochester, N.Y. The following companies also supported the live auction: Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, Kan.; T-Bonz, Charleston, S.C.; Sysco Boston LLC, Plympton, Mass.; and Del Monte, San Francisco, Calif..  

The top two recipients also win an all-expense-paid trip to the 2013 CAB Annual Conference, September 18-20 in Palm Desert, Calif.  This is an opportunity to interact with leaders throughout the production, packing, retail and foodservice industries.

For more details, interested students should visit www.certifiedangusbeef .com/press/colvin/