2020 CANR Alumni Association scholarship recipients announced

March 26, 2020

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alumni Association awards scholarships to students who are well-rounded in their academic and non-academic pursuits and have a vision for their future career.

Each year the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Alumni Association awards scholarships to students who demonstrate leadership and community service, possess effective communication skills, have a commitment to their chosen field of study, are well-rounded in their academic and non-academic pursuits and have a vision for their future career.

This year, two sub-committees met to review 42 scholarship applications for undergraduate students, graduate students and Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) students. The applicants selected were invited to move forward and participate in on-campus interviews. The committees chose to award three $2,000 scholarships to IAT freshmen, eight $3,000 scholarships to CANR juniors and two $3,000 scholarships to CANR graduate students. In addition, several smaller scholarships were awarded to most of the remaining candidates.

The CANR Alumni Association raises funds for these scholarships through activities such as AutumnFest and the Golfing for Scholarships event, as well as gifts from individuals. To support the CANR Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund, please visit: https://givingto.msu.edu/gift/?sid=8188.

Congratulations to the 2020 CANRAA scholarship recipients:

Undergraduate junior scholarship recipients

Morgan Bucholtz, of Washington Township, Mich., has a major in the School of Packaging with a minor in graphic design in hopes to use her design background to conduct design-related undergraduate research. Morgan is an active member of Coalition of Packaging Professionals and Academic Connections and Pi Kappa Gamma Honor Society. She is an undergraduate research assistant and was a member of the MSU Golf Team. Morgan was selected to accompany the School of Packaging faculty to represent Michigan State University at the PackExpo in Las Vegas. Morgan studied abroad in the Packaging in the United Kingdom Education program and has completed internships at PepsiCo and Nabisco.

Miranda Graleski is studying Environmental Economics and Management, as a part of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics, from Clinton Township, Mich. She has been a part of Spartans Involved in Community Service, Women and Minorities in Economics, and currently serves as the secretary for the Sustainable Business Association. Miranda has been described as inspiring to others, passionate about her studies, and a great representation of what it means to be a Spartan. After graduation, she is eager to apply her skills and talent within a corporate sustainability and social responsibility role and hopes to one day earn a master’s degree (an MBA with a focus on corporate sustainability).

Maria Kloboves is currently an animal science major with plans to complete an internship in the dairy or livestock industry, and then apply to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian. Maria believes in educating the public on the importance of agriculture while promoting transparency of producers to build trust. She plans to remain in Michigan after veterinary school and to become engaged with her communities in a general practice for farm and large animals. Maria serves as vice president of the Honors College Activities Board and is the student senate representative for the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association.

Darren Kulicamp's enthusiasm for and commitment to west Michigan agriculture is apparent in both his words and actions. As an agribusiness management student, he is active on campus, including his leadership roles in Block and Bridle Club, Dairy Club, National Agricultural Marketing Association (NAMA) and the MSU Livestock Judging Team. Even with his busy schedule, Darren has made time to return to his high school to help students learn more about possible college opportunities. Darren's commitment to well-formed goals and a strong work ethic will serve him well.

Blake Lajiness has a double major in environmental studies and sustainability and political science: public policy. He is deciding on whether to continue forward with a graduate program, but sees the value in working in large cities to help promote and encourage environmental policies within those areas. He has aspirations for working with the EPA and the United Nations. Blake participated on the executive board for Climate Reality Project and the MSU Model United Nations organization as an event coordinator.

Sabrina Maniaci's father and grandfather inspired her to follow their paths into construction management. Sabrina has learned the construction trade from the field, as a builder’s assistant, and from the classroom here at MSU. Recently, Sabrina was part of the first place MSU team at the 2020 National Association of Homebuilders team competition held in Las Vegas. In addition, she is committed to construction that is sensitive to people’s physical and emotional needs, as well as being sustainable in regards to our natural resources.

Lynn Olthof, from Spring Lake, Mich. is studying agribusiness management. Lynn graduated from the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) dairy management program in 2018. Lynn hopes to further her career in the dairy industry. She is currently the MSU Dairy Club vice president II and a member of the SALT Company at MSU. Lynn went to the 2019 International Dairy Judging Experience in Scotland and Ireland. Her love for basketball helped her get a position with the MSU Women’s Basketball Team as recruiting operations assistant. Lynn also worked for the William H. Minor Research Institute in Chazy, New York where she learned more about the dairy industry.

Claire Schleusener is a landscape architecture major from Clarkston, Mich. Since coming to MSU, Claire has been involved with the Landscape Architecture Club, Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE) and the Student Greenhouse Project. After completing her undergraduate work, she plans to remain on campus to complete her master’s degree in environmental design. She hopes to stay in the Midwest, working at a landscape architecture firm where she will not only gain valuable experience, but also potentially help reshape the way we live as a society. Her goal is to bring us back to a more naturalistic style of living.

Thaddeus Swart, who studies forestry, hopes to work in the public sector after graduation, in either the National Park Service or the United States Park Service. He is passionate about making current science available and accessible to everyone. If working for a public sector service, he would like to stay in the Great Lakes Region. He is particularly interested in vegetation classification systems. He is involved with the Forestry Club, Running Club and the MSU Student Housing Cooperative.

Jacob Warack is a junior studying agribusiness management. He is involved with the Agronomy Club and is the current president of the Farmhouse fraternity. Jacob plans on returning to his family farm after graduation, but also aspires to become a farmer-dealer for a seed company. He loves to be involved in the agriculture community and sees management, sales, agronomy and expanding his family farms in his future.

Angela Yuan sought out an internship at an environmental law firm, specifically working on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination because of her interest in clean water and how it is affecting the watershed. She is a Bailey Scholar and her major of study is environmental studies and sustainability. She aspires to become an environmental lobbyist and is passionate about economics and the environment in the U.S. Angela is also involved in the Sierra Club and the Veg Club.

IAT scholarship recipients

Ashleigh Bryant is an agricultural operations student. Ashleigh has been actively involved in her home community and is also involved in the Collegiate Farm Bureau, currently serving as the president. After graduation, she plans to return home to her family Becks Hybrids Dealership and hopes to return to Michigan State to study agronomy. After earning a degree in agronomy, she hopes to continue selling seed while working as an agronomist for Becks or another seed company.

Lily Doyle, of Stanton, Mich., is pursuing her Agricultural Operations Certificate. She took her first crop science class from Dan Rossman, and realized agriculture was what she loved. Last summer, she interned with Corteva Agriscience, and expanded her knowledge of working with growers and making cold calls. Not a stranger to hard work, Lily spent one summer detasseling corn, and continues to work at the local grocery store in Stanton. With school and work, Lily still finds time to be involved in other activities. She is active in the Collegiate Farm Bureau and is a Youth Leader at her church. She also recently went on a mission trip to Guatemala where she volunteered at feeding programs and did physical labor for widows.

Drew Rievert, of Bay Port, Mich., is earning his technology degree in agriculture operations at MSU and concurrently working on an associate’s degree in applied science at Delta College. He is involved in the FFA and received his State FFA Degree. He enjoys hunting and fishing and is interested in beef production. Drew has worked at both Dressler Produce and J&L Farms both in Sebewaing, Mich. where he is honing his agricultural experiences and management tools. He has exhibited entrepreneurial skills and is dedicated to evolving the agriculture industry. Drew plans on continuing his impact on the agriculture industry after his academic career.

Alex Turner is a student in the electrical technology program. He is active in the MSU Skeet Team and participated in track, skeet, marching band, power lifting and concert band during high school. Upon graduation, Alex plans to continue working for a licensed electrician for at least two years to obtain the hours needed to become a journeyman electrician. From there, he plans to take the master electrician exam. This scholarship will help Alex to continue his education on a full-time basis.

Katherine Wilson started at MSU this past fall as a student in the dairy management program in the Institute of Agricultural Technology. She has been extremely active in 4-H at both the local and state level, especially in the dairy project, and has exhibited dairy cattle and participated in many competitive events including dairy judging, quiz bowl and management contests. She has represented Michigan at several national 4-H competitions. She is currently a Michigan Dairy Ambassador and a member of the MSU Dairy Club. Katie has also been active in FIRST robotics and her church youth group. Her academic plan is to complete the IAT dairy program and transfer into the four-year program. Katie already has an internship lined up for the summer of 2020.

Graduate scholarship recipients

Ariana Negreiro is a master’s student in the Department of Animal Science. Previously, Ariana was an undergraduate student at MSU, and found her passion for dairy management and communication during her early years within the college. She comes from a non-farm background, but in addition to her research contributions in dairy nutrition, she has become an excellent spokesperson for the dairy industry. She gives back to CANR’s undergraduate programming by acting as a mentor for a variety of student groups. After graduation, Ariana plans to work as a commercial dairy consultant.

Angel Forde is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Community Sustainability. A native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, Angel is passionate about her chosen course of study, her colleagues, and using the tools that she acquires. She hopes to improve and showcase environmentally sensitive and significant natural resource assets. She has equal passions for academia and fieldwork, and hopes to work in either a community college or liberal arts institution after earning her degree. She also wants to lend a new vision and energy to the eco-tourism industry in small communities in her native Jamaica. With a passion for working with people and strong communication skills, Angel will be an excellent future ambassador for MSU CANR.