2020-2021 First Year Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to this year's recipients!

Cameron Anderson
Dorena, OR | Botany

“Coming from a low income family, I was always unsure about being able to afford college. I really wanted to go, but I didn't know if I could, or if it would even be worth it. However, thanks to this scholarship [...] I can pursue my degree without the weight of financial worries.”

Ryan Auld
Aurora, CO | Bioresource Research

“I decided to go to OSU because of how beautiful Oregon is, particularly Corvallis, and because of the wide range of majors that were offered through the College of Agricultural Sciences that weren't offered at other universities that I looked at. The College of Agricultural Sciences [...] has so many excellent staff that teach a very diverse set of agricultural majors, something not really offered where I’m from...”

Alyssa Brooke
Coos Bay, OR | Botany

“[This scholarship] has given me such a profound sense of accomplishment. This has not only shown me that my hard work does not go unnoticed, but it has shown my two children that hard work and dedication pays off.”

Natalia Curtis
Oregon City, OR | Animal Sciences (Pre-Professional)

“I want to be an inspiration. I come from a single mom and her family of immigrants. Also, as a woman, I am a minority in the STEM field. I want to be able to show others what they are capable of. I would also be proud to contribute in the building of our great outdoors and helping to keep it lush and green.”

Kaylee Dalke
Baker City, OR | Agriculture Food and Business Management

“Whether I was moving cows with my family, raising a pig for 4H, or cutting a wheat field, I have always been surrounded by agriculture. I have a desire to know more about agribusiness and to teach others about the importance of agriculture and the impact it has on our world.”

Paul Lepschat
Banks, OR | Agriculture and Food Business Management

“I hope to [work] for an Agriculture company that has the ability and goals to help farmers and work to develop new techniques that will make farming more efficient to help with the cost of farming. I would also like to [have] a small farm of my own to raise my kids like I had been raised to teach them hard work, appreciation for agriculture, and the effect it has on all of us.”

Deborah Miller
Southern California | Agricultural Sciences

“I would be proud to contribute to a work environment in the agricultural field that respects its migrant workers. I feel that many agricultural workers are not given the same rights for the work they do. If I could be a part of something that helps provide better wages and working conditions for farm workers, I would consider that a great accomplishment.”

Lian Moy
La Grande, OR | Food Science and Technology

“I want to be able to improve the food people eat in some way: perhaps through nutrition, production, or the kinds of food alternatives people can safely and happily consume. I would like to be able to somehow enhance nutrition in foods in a sustainable and ethical way.”

Sean Murphy
Gladstone, OR | Horticulture

“I want to provide a successful model of a business that works in horticulture; my main focus being in the production of a cannabis product. This model would help provide opportunities to individuals by offering jobs, knowledge and experience, and quality products to society. I would also like to further myself in education to the forefront of horticulture. It would be amazing to further the knowledge that we already have and add something beneficial which other farmers can put to use.”

Kimberly Ortiz
Scio, OR | Rangeland Sciences

“This degree enables me to really do something meaningful with keeping our working landscapes functional while preserving them for years to come.This will allow me to positively impact the Agriculture industry and improve the productivity of our lands.”

Corinne Oster
Molalla, OR | Agricultural Sciences

"In searching for the perfect university, I was looking for a place I felt comfortable and could obtain an excellent education in my chosen field. I wanted a school that was affordable and in an area where I could find part-time employment. These wants and needs were fulfilled by only one school, Oregon State University."

Travis Shippentower Sproed
Lake Oswego, OR | Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences

“I am an enrolled tribal member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. At an early age I learned from my parents, grandparents, and elders how to hunt, fish, and care for the land. Not for recreational purposes but as a way of life. Learning this early in life made me have a different view on natural resources and I had a deep appreciation for land, water and life.”