The Delaware Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee and three county boards are proud to announce their 2025 scholarship awardees.
Various activities are held throughout the year to help raise funds for these scholarships. The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee raises funds through their annual Strawberry Festival in June, and the Antique Tractor Pull which is traditionally held on the last day of the Delaware State Fair. The Women’s Committee runs a well-established food booth at the state fair, raising funds for its scholarships and other initiatives.
This year, the following students were awarded scholarships from the Delaware Farm Bureau:
Kassidy Hearn
State Women’s Committee Youth Scholarship
Kassidy Hearn of Laurel is receiving a $2,500 scholarship from Delaware Farm Bureau’s women’s committee to use towards her agricultural communications studies at Oklahoma State University.
Hearn is a 2025 graduate from Laurel High School where she was involved as an FFA chapter officer, football team manager, wrestling team manager, and talent search. She has been actively involved in National and Maryland high school rodeo and Hollering N Hooves 4-H club for several years. Outside of school, she has hours of experience working on her family’s Sandyloam Farm doing horse care, produce work, and riding lessons.
With a deep passion for agriculture, Hearn wants to be a voice for families like her, farmers who work hard to support their communities. She’s continuing to pursue these passions in agriculture communications while studying in Oklahoma.
Beau Davis
Kent County Women’s Committee Scholarship
Beau Davis of Milford is receiving a $1000 scholarship from Kent County Women’s Committee to use towards her Agriculture and Natural Resources degree at the University of Delaware.
Davis has worked as a Delaware Farm Bureau and Southern Delaware Seed intern. She is involved in UD’s Agriculture College Council, collegiate 4-H, and collegiate FFA. Davis is a 2022 Milford High School graduate who was active in her FFA chapter, student government, field hockey, and the Delaware State Fair Junior Board.
She hopes to work within the agriculture industry, narrowing her interests to economics and interning in an agribusiness analytics position. Davis says she is blessed for the connections and opportunities this industry has given her.
Mckenna Vest
Beatrice Gooden Memorial Scholarship by Kent County Farm Bureau
Mckenna Vest of Clayton is receiving the $1000 Beatrice Gooden Memorial Scholarship. The 2024 graduate of Delaware Military Academy is attending the Texas A&M to study agricultural economics.
At Texas A&M Vest stays busy with Saddle and Sirloin, Agricultural Economics Society, and her College of Agriculture and Life Sciences freshman experience. When not at school, Vest helps manage her family’s farm livestock including cows, goats, and sheep. Her other extracurriculars include volunteering at Camp for All, Isaiah’s Place, Aggieland Saturday, as a Cow Camp counselor, and more.
Vest plans to become an Agriculture Marketing Specialist, hoping to bridge the gap between producer and consumer while creating a more profitable agriculture sector. Her experiences as a fifth-generation farmer and talking with business professionals at the National FFA Convention have led her to pursue her passion for agriculture sustainability.
Colleen Nicholson
New Castle County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Colleen Nicholson of Townsend will receive the $750 New Castle County Farm Bureau Scholarship to benefit her education in Animal science on a pre-veterinary track at the University of Georgia.
Nicholson, a 2025 graduate of Smyrna High School, was involved in her schools FFA chapter, student government association, National Honor Society, and education interact ambassador. She has experience in multiple roles at animal hospitals, pushing her towards her chosen studies.
Nicholson hopes to pursue veterinary school to contribute to large animal practices, a field she notes is rapidly decreasing. Her goals include becoming a mobile large animal veterinarian in her area, giving back to the community that has helped her become the person she is today. Her interests also include the poultry industry, and industry specifically important to Delaware’s agriculture.
Julia Carroll
New Castle County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Julia Carroll of Wilmington has been awarded a $750 scholarship from New Castle County Farm Bureau. A 2025 graduate from The Charter School of Wilmington, Carroll is beginning her education at the University of Delaware majoring in Food Science.
Throughout school Carrolls involvement has included pickleball club co-leader, mock trial team member, science fair participant, National Honors Society, lacrosse manager, and more.
Carroll has always been interested in food science and experimentation. Her experiences with Celiac’s and Hashimoto’s disease have exposed her to gluten-free food, an area she hopes to enhance in taste and texture through her food science degree. She hopes to one day work at food corporations, allowing her to make a positive impact on the gluten free community.
Rachel O’Day
Sussex County Women’s Committee Scholarship
Rachel O’Day of Seaford is receiving a $1000 scholarship from Sussex County Women’s Committee to use towards her Agriculture and Medical Biotechnology degree at the University of Kentucky.
O’Day is a 2025 graduate from Sussex Academy High School. She was active in National Honor Society, Leo Club, Technology Student Association, Varsity Track and Field, Varsity Softball, and Make a Change Club. Her involvement extends into Sussex County 4-H, Delaware State Fair Junior Board, Church Sunday school teacher, and camp counselor.
On her farm she gained firsthand animal care experiences that led her to an animal science focused degree with a path towards veterinary school. Whether she commits herself to small animals or livestock, she is committed to giving back to the farming community in her future career.
Emily Phillips
Sussex County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Emily Phillips of Georgetown earned the Sussex County Women’s Committee $500 scholarship. A 2025 graduate of Sussex Academy, she attends York College of Pennsylvania with a major in early childhood and special education.
Phillips was involved in her school’s choir, drama club, and National Honor Society. She has been active in her church’s youth group, coffee bar, and served as a Sunday school teacher. Her involvement also includes animal shelter fundraiser curator and community outreach team leader over the years.
Her pursuit for a special education degree stems from her experience assisting in a Kindergarten classroom. With a family full of teachers, she’s inspired to pursue a career as an educator.
Kaitlyn Johnson
Sussex County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Kaitlyn Johnson of Selbyville earned a $500 scholarship from the Sussex County Women’s Committee. As a 2023 graduate of Indian River High School, she continues her education as a mechanical engineering major at the University of Delaware.
Johnson has a wide range of skills from her experience on her family’s farm, Parson’s Farm bakery, and L&M Cleaning. She is also involved in the Honors Program, University of Delaware VEX Robotics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Ballroom Dancing Club, Crochet Club, Band, Math League, 4-H, and more.
During her education, Johnson hopes to participate in a variety of engineering-based internships and job-shadow opportunities to help decide her future career plans. She looks forward to opportunities where she can solve problems, work with peers, and constantly learn new things while bringing her knowledge back to the agricultural industry.
Brielle Carter
Delaware Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship
Brielle Carter of Harrington received the $1,000 scholarship from the state Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee to benefit her plans of studying agriculture and natural resources with a minor in soil science at the University of Delaware.
She graduated from Lake Forest High School where she was involved in the Lake Forest FFA Chapter, Delaware 4-H, and Delaware State Fair Junior Board. She now is involved in UD’s Ag Ambassador program, Agriculture College Council, served as the 2023 Mar-Del Watermelon Queen, and more. Her family produces poultry, grain, and produce.
Carter’s future plans are to combine her experiences and education to practice outreach and advocacy for the agriculture industry. While completing her degree in agriculture, she is continuing to take on new opportunities to expand her understanding of the industry.
Elizabeth Handlin
Delaware Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship
New Castle County Women’s Committee Scholarship
Elizabeth Handlin of Bear will receive the $1,000 Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee scholarship and $1,000 New Castle County Women’s Committee Scholarship. The 2025 graduate of Odessa High School attends the University of Delaware where she is majoring in pre-veterinary science with a pursuit of a 4+1 ag education degree, taking elective plant science classes as well.
Handlin has been involved in the Odessa FFA chapter, serving as an officer at the middle and high school level. Her Supervised Agriculture Experience owning sheep has allowed her to travel across the country to livestock shows and interacting with students for hands-on learning in the classroom.
Her experiences have earned her a National SAE Grant, two Delaware state proficiencies, FFA State Degree, and 4 Blue Hen Academic All-Conference awards. Handlin plans to become an agriscience educator, becoming the third generation in her family to do so.
