March 19, 2026

Eighteen Students Recognized with Iowa Corn Future of Agriculture Scholarship

Iowa Corn announced the student recipients of the 2026 Iowa Corn Future of Agriculture Scholarship program. Eighteen (18) $1,000 one-year scholarships were awarded to deserving, qualified students enrolled at an accredited U.S. 2-year or 4-year junior college or university, or graduate school, in a program of study equipping them to contribute to Iowa’s agriculture industry. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association® (ICGA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board® (ICPB).

“To remain competitive and successful, Iowa’s corn industry needs strong advocates who understand the importance of engaging on issues within our industry and letting their voices be heard,” said Laura Foell, a farmer from Sac County and chair of the Iowa Corn Grassroots Network, Membership & Checkoff (GNMC) Committee. “Through the Iowa Corn Future of Agriculture scholarships, we are empowering the next generation to step into leadership roles with the resources they need to succeed. We are excited for the future of agriculture in Iowa with this group of recipients leading the way.”

Selection committees evaluated applications by their essays, applications, reference letters, current grades and activities. It is a blind selection process by the committee. Students must also be an ICGA member or be a dependent of a member.

High school scholarship winners include:

District 1: Lily Moeller, MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District
District 2: Tara Marchand, West Hancock High School
District 3: Zachary Knepper, Don Bosco Catholic High School
District 4: Gabrielle Hamann, Siouxland Community Christian School
District 5: Rhianna Murty, GMG Secondary School
District 6: Kelsie Thompson, Marquette Catholic High School
District 7: Shane Tiarks, Underwood High School
District 8: Madisyn DeJong, Melcher-Dallas High School
District 9: Blake Sheetz, Washington High School

College scholarship winners include:

District 1: Kadence Boender,Iowa State University
District 2: Sydney Schilling, Iowa State University
District 3: Amy Copenhaver, Upper Iowa University
District 4: Keira Simmons, Iowa State University
District 5: Amanda Ostrem, Iowa State University
District 6: Chelsea Holland, Iowa State University
District 7: Tucker Rohrig, Iowa State University
District 8:Trell Amoss, Oklahoma State University
District 9: Cody Messer, Iowa State University

Students who applied for the Future of Ag Scholarship were automatically applied for scholarship opportunities through the National Corn Growers Association, as well.

For more information on Iowa Corn’s Future in Ag Scholarship, visit https://www.iowacorn.org/membership/student-opportunities/future-of-agriculture-scholarships/.