Thirty-one students from North Carolina have been awarded the 2025 N.C. State Fair Youth Livestock Scholarships, as announced by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. These scholarships are intended for high school seniors and current college students who have participated in junior livestock or market turkey shows at the N.C. State Fair.
Since its inception in 2015, the scholarship program has distributed a total of $611,000. The funds for these scholarships come from a percentage of sales at the N.C. State Fair Sale of Champions. The number of scholarships awarded annually depends on qualified applicants and available funds from the previous year’s sale.
This year, due to strong support for the 2024 sale, thirty scholarships worth $2,000 each were granted. Additionally, one scholarship valued at $2,500 was sponsored by Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina.
“This scholarship program continues to invest in the next generation of agricultural leaders and advocates,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I am proud that they all have a solid understanding of where their food comes from because of their experience showing livestock.”
The selection committee evaluated applicants based on their participation in N.C. State Fair junior livestock shows, academic performance, extracurricular activities, and an essay submission. Applications were anonymized before evaluation to ensure fairness.
Below is a list of this year’s scholarship recipients categorized by county:
– Buncombe: Shelby Candler (Texas Tech University)
– Burke: Ellie Shuping (Undecided)
– Cabarrus: Ana McAuley (Fort Scott Community College)
– Catawba: Hannah Vanhoy (N.C. State University)
– Chowan: Lilah Byrum (N.C. State University)
– Cleveland: Chesney Gibson (N.C. State University)
– Craven: Matthew Peluso (University of Mount Olive)
– Davidson: Salem Ward (UNC-Greensboro)
– Franklin: Hope Latta (N.C. State University)
– Granville: Abigail Shaeffer (University of North Carolina or East Carolina University)
– Haywood: Addison Passmore (Undecided)
– Johnston:
– Erin Burns (N.C. State University)
– Ann Taylor (N.C. State University)
– Ava Wood (N.C. State University)
– Charlotte Wood (N.C. State University)
– Jones: Kaitlyn Crompton (Virginia Tech)
– Lenoir: Kalen Barwick (N.C. State University)
– Lincoln:
– Adelee Dillon (University of Tennessee)
– Jordan Mitchem (N.C. State University)
– Onslow: Travis Cox (Hutchinson Community College)
– Pasquotank: Lane Markham (Undecided)
– Pitt: Ashlyn Coxe (N.C. State University or the University of Wisconsin-Madison)
– Randolph:
– Laura Jessup (Montgomery Community College)
– Caroline Scarlett and Taylor Singleberry both attending N.C.State
University
-Randolph : Josie Correll(Cleveland )who attends Oklahoma state university-Farm Credit Association Scholarship recipient-$2500
-Talton Correll(cleveland )to attend Mississippi state university
-Stokes : Michelle Hartman(Walnut cove )who attends NC state university
-Wayne:Gideon Linton(Mount olive )to attend university mount olive.
-Isaac linton(Mount olive )who attends university mount olive .
-Wilson : Clayton Ross Hinnant(Kenly )to attend Auburn university or Ncstate university
For further details on supporting the Junior Livestock Sale of Champions or contributing to the scholarship program contact Neil Bowman director ncstate fair livestock shows at neil.bowman@ncagr.gov phone number is provided too
