FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Angie Stump Denton, or 785-363-7263
July 10, 2015
Hereford Juniors Receive Scholarships in Honor of John Wayne
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two $1,000 John Wayne Memorial Scholarships were awarded July 1 at the 16th Annual VitaFerm® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) in Grand Island, Neb. Cody Jensen, Courtland, Kan., and Taylor Belle Matheny, Mays Lick, Ky., were chosen to receive the scholarships from the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and National Hereford Women (NHW).
The scholarships are awarded each year at the JNHE to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and the Hereford industry. Winners must be interested in a field directly related to the Hereford breed. Applicants must submit an essay discussing how John Wayne’s characteristics can benefit the beef industry.
Cody, 22, is the son of Kirk and Steph Jensen. He has been a member of the NJHA and the Kansas Junior Hereford Association for 14 years. He was elected to the NJHA board of directors in 2013 and is currently the fundraising chair. He showed the grand champion bred-and-owned bull at the 2012 JNHE. A senior at Kansas State University (K-State) majoring in feed science management, Cody plans to work at a livestock feed mill in the Midwest and continue to raise Herefords after graduation.
Taylor Belle, 17, is the daughter of Andrew and Suzanne Matheny. She has been a member of the NJHA and the Kentucky Junior Hereford Association (KJHA) for 10 years. She is the Kentucky Hereford Queen and the KJHA president. She graduated from Mason County High School in May and plans to major in agricultural communications when she starts college this fall at K-State.
The 2015 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo was sponsored in part by Biozyme Inc., St. Joseph, Mo. The NJHA is one of the most active junior programs in the country with approximately 3,000 members. The NJHA’s mission is to create and promote enthusiasm for the breed while providing opportunities through leadership, education and teamwork. For more information about the NJHA, visit www.jrhereford.org.
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John Wayne Memorial Scholarship winners (l to r) are: Taylor Matheny, Mays Lick, Ky.; and Cody Jensen, Courtland, Kan. Also pictured are NHW board members Suzanne Matheny (far left) and Beth Blinson (far right).