Kreigh Awarded Clutter Scholarship
A girl and her newfound love for agriculture
Cassidy Kreigh, 2017 Herb Clutter Memorial Scholarship
Cassidy Kreigh (right) poses with the Schemm family during the 2017 wheat harvest.
Cassidy Kreigh has not always been involved with agriculture. Her interest was sparked when she was introduced to it by family friends.
“I have worked for a family farm and they really helped me get involved with agriculture. My parents grew up on farms but did not stay involved,” Kreigh says.
When she was first introduced to production agriculture, she was on the edge about the idea. Ever since her first day helping out on a farm she no longer has any doubts.
“This is my summer job, and during the school year I help on weekends. It really interested me the more I went out there,” she says.
A couple reasons Kreigh says she was unsure about farming, was how intimidating the big equipment was and the endless amount of a whole new world to learn.
Kreigh attended Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas, and is attending Kansas State University this fall to study milling science. Kreigh plans to rush and hopefully join a sorority and become involved with College of Agriculture clubs that are on campus. Kreigh says she became interested in milling science through some of her friends. Last fall, she toured the mills and the agriculture department and immediately fell in love.
“I plan on joining some agriculture clubs in the fall to also spark my knowledge and interest in other areas of agriculture,” says Kreigh.
“Cassidy’s passions for her community and agriculture have made her an excellent recipient of the scholarship," said Jordan Hildebrand, program assistant at Kansas Wheat. "We're proud to encourage high school students like Cassidy to pursue a career in the wheat industry."
The Herb Clutter Memorial Scholarship is given to high school seniors who are pursuing a degree in agriculture. The scholarship first began in 2009 to honor Herb Clutter’s influential role in organizing leadership groups on behalf of Kansas wheat producers, and is administered by the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.
“Mr. Clutter’s enthusiasm and leadership in the wheat industry serves as an excellent example for young adults as they take this next step in their lives," said Hildebrand. "We are honored to offer a scholarship in remembrance of Herb Clutter, and to share his passion for the industry and his community with future generations of wheat leaders."
To complete the scholarship, students must fill out a 400-500 word essay discussing why they have chosen to pursue a career in agriculture. The committee will use this essay along with the student’s application to select a recipient.
The $500 scholarship goes to offset tuition to a college or university-bound incoming freshman from Kansas. These students have to be pursuing a degree in agriculture in order to be considered for this award. They must also be a full-time student at any two or four year, Kansas college or university. The students are chosen by their achievement, leadership qualities and career objectives in the field of agriculture. They will then receive the scholarship to be applied toward tuition for their college or university of choosing. To learn more about the Herb Clutter Memorial Scholarship, please go to kansaswheat.org/clutter.
by Brooke Haas, Summer 2017 Communications Intern