Scholarships
Sponsors
The Maryland Sheep Breeders Association, in conjunction with the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a student who has been accepted or is in the process of applying for continuing education at a college or university, technical school, or vocational school. All academic majors will be considered, but priority will be given to agriculture or agriculture-related majors (such as food science, veterinarian, ag education, etc.). Preference will be given to those applicants who are members or whose families are members of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. Payment will be made upon documentation of acceptance or enrollment.
Applications
The application window will be open from November 1 – April 15. Applications can be downloaded here.
Applications include:
- Completed application
- 500 word essay
- Two letters of recommendation
- Recent High School or College transcript
Selection Criteria
- Experience and involvement with sheep and or sheep related activities (4-H, FFA, Make It With Wool, etc.)
- Agriculture or agriculture-related education/career goals
- Community service activities
- Leadership and/or extra-curricular involvement
- High School/college academic achievement
Awards Presentation
The scholarship award will be presented at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and the winner will be honored at the Maryland Sheep Breeders Annual Dinner.
Questions
2023 Scholarship Winner
The MSBA scholarship of $1,000 for 2023 was awarded to Caroline Clark. Caroline is a Catoctin High School graduating senior with plans to go into animal science and veterinary medicine. She has been extensively involved in sheep and 4-H since the age of 8.
Together with her family they raise Leicester Longwools, Natural Color, Commercial cross, and Hampshire sheep as well as turkeys. Additionally they also manage several crop farms producing corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay, timothy hay, and orchard grass.
In addition to raising and showing sheep, helping on the farm, and excelling at her academics, Caroline has been involved in the MD Make It With Wool program for 10 years, has started her own business (with her brother) through the 4-H Entrepreneurship Program, participated in the MSWF Skillathon, MD 4-H Livestock Skillathon, and the MD 4-H Livestock Judging contests. She was also the recipient of a Leicester Longwool ewe through the Youth Conservation Program.
Caroline’s resume of community service and leadership is extensive and varied. She has worked with local food banks, planted flowers at a senior center, and helped to procure Buddy Benches for local schools among other things. She was selected as a delegate to the National 4-H Congress and helped coach the Catoctin Livestock Judging team to a win at the State FFA contest.
It is a great pleasure for the MSWF and MSBA to be able to award this Scholarship to Caroline Clark.