LANSING, Mich. – Since 2000, the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has awarded $731,130 in scholarships and educational awards to outstanding youth who have exhibited at the premier livestock events in the state. In 2022, there were $40,500 in scholarships awarded.

In 2023, a select number of applicants may be offered an opportunity to be interviewed, at the discretion of the MYLSF, before the Sale-Abration event for larger scholarship awards up to $5,000.

To be eligible for either the MYLSF general scholarship or the statewide scholarship, the applicant must be a resident of Michigan and a graduating high school senior or a high school graduate continuing their education at an accredited institution in the year in which they are applying.

For the general MYLSF scholarship, the applicant must be a youth exhibitor at the Michigan Livestock Expo or the Michigan Dairy Expo for a minimum of three calendar years before the year of application. For the statewide scholarship, an applicant must be a youth exhibitor at a local, county or statewide exhibition for a minimum of three years before the year of application.

Specific proceeds from the Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-Abration auction and charitable donations help fund the scholarships. The fund is governed by an 11-member board comprised of volunteers from Michigan’s agricultural community. 

The 2022 MYLSF scholarship winners were: 

• $3,500 scholarship: Margaret Hartman, of Flint; Irene Nielson, of Mason; and Shannon Rossman, of Litchfield

• $2,500 scholarship: Allison Littlefield, of Burr Oak; and Ryann Locke, of Albion

• $2,000 scholarship: Hannah Hart, of Benton Harbor; Stephanie Harvey, of Hamilton; Andrew Littlefield, of Burr Oak; Tyler Rozema, of Coopersville; Madalyn Stewart, of Charlotte; and Katrina Tucker, of Hopkins

• $1,500 scholarship: Morgan Klosowski, of Elkston; and Breanne Reif, of Allen

• $1,000 scholarship: Samantha Armstrong, of Gregory; Travis Boeskool, of Hamilton; Mallory Rozema, of Coopersville; Alexander Scoville, of Laingsburg; and Caleb Tucker, of Hopkins

• $500 scholarship: Alexandria Blackmer, of Parma; Alissa Boersen, of Zeeland; Jena Bradley, of Cassopolis; and Brianna Stockwell, of Dowagiac

• $1,000 statewide scholarship: Reece Chapman, of Bellevue; Katlyn Cunningham, of Corunna; and Hayley Wineland, of Coldwater

Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship can be obtained at https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/MYLSF2023. 

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59pm on May 15, 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Haarer, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s producer security section manager, at 517-896-2236 or haarerj@michigan.gov; or Ernie Birchmeier, Michigan Farm Bureau’s senior industry relations specialist, at 517-679-5335 or ebirchm@michfb.com.