Brielle Carter

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Macy Cook

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Cirenio Hisasaga

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Allyson Holmes

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Avery Kerrick

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Bethany Knutsen

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Dillana Reed

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Foster Smith

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Sydney Thompson

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Cecilia Uebel

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

McKenna Vest

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

Karley White

Photo courtesy of Delmarva Chicken Association

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Delmarva Chicken Association has granted scholarships totaling $25,000 to 12 students pursuing college and graduate studies connected to careers in Delmarva’s chicken industry through the Delmarva Chicken Association College Scholarship Program.

Eleven of the recipients are enrolled in undergraduate programs and received $2,000 scholarships. A graduate student was also awarded a $3,000 scholarship.

“By supporting these students, DCA is nurturing in the next generation of leaders in our chicken community,” said Holly Porter, Delmarva Chicken Association’s executive director.

“These young people are determined to put their learning and skills to good use in the chicken community. They’ll join an essential, motivated workforce that puts tasty, nutritious chicken on the plates of Americans and the world.”

The students receiving scholarships are:

• Brielle Carter, of Harrington, a sophomore at the University of Delaware. After graduation, Ms. Carter hopes to either work directly in the agriculture industry or continue her education towards a career in soil science and conservation, helping producers find solutions for litter management and compost production. The scholarship will advance Ms. Carter’s goal of studying agriculture production systems in New Zealand during a study-abroad semester. 
• Macy Cook, of Cordova, Maryland, a first-year student at the University of Mount Olive in eastern North Carolina. This is Ms. Cook’s second consecutive year winning a Delmarva Chicken Association scholarship. Raised on a poultry farm and pursuing an agribusiness degree, Ms. Cook is studying finance in hopes of working as a financial advisor who helps farmers craft profitable balance sheets.
• Cirenio Hisasaga, of Davis, California, a graduate student at the University of California – Davis who is on track to complete a Ph.D. program next spring. Mr. Hisasaga’s graduate research focuses on determining differences in mitochondria from broilers affiliated with different severities of woody breast syndrome. He has also worked as an intern and student employee for Foster Farms, Cobb-Vantress Inc. and California Dairies and earned the Student Merit Award from the Pacific Egg & Poultry Association.
• Allyson Holmes, of Clayton, who will enter Delaware State University in the fall and plans to become a chicken company flock supervisor after college. Ms. Holmes has held several leadership positions in the Smyrna High School FFA chapter and was a state star finalist at the 2023 Delaware FFA State Convention.
• Avery Kerrick, of Greenwood, a Woodbridge High School graduate who will attend Delaware Valley University beginning this fall. A top-ranked student in her graduating class, Ms. Kerrick hopes to become a high school agricultural educator. She grew up on a dairy farm in Greenwood, was senior class president at Woodbridge High; and was the 2023 Most Outstanding Delaware FFA Chapter President.
• Bethany Knutsen, of Harrington, a University of Delaware sophomore planning to major in plant science. Ms. Knutsen is a member of UD’s Ag College Council and was valedictorian of her graduating class at Woodbridge High School. Knutsen plans to become an agronomist and own a crop consulting business.
• Dillana Reed, of Camden, a Caesar Rodney High School graduate who will attend Delaware Valley University in the fall and intends to major in animal and livestock management. Ms. Reed participated in FFA in high school and finished the year serving as the high school’s FFA chapter president.
• Foster Smith, of Bishopville, Maryland, a Stephen Decatur High School graduate and the son of a third-generation Delmarva farmer. Mr. Smith graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and will matriculate at Salisbury University in the fall. Mr. Smith hopes to work in a sales and marketing role for the chicken industry.
• Sydney Thompson, of Hartly, who will graduate from Delaware Technical Community College next year with a degree in agribusiness management. Ms. Thompson has plans to work on her family’s fifth-generation family farm, which raises chickens for Coleman Farms.
• Cecilia Uebel, of Berlin, Maryland, who is a rising sophomore at the University of Delaware pursuing a degree in sustainable food systems. Ms. Uebel’s career goal is to develop ways to increase chicken feed production, and she hopes to leverage grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do so.
• McKenna Vest, of Clayton, a Delaware Military Academy graduate ranked first in her graduating class who has been admitted to Texas A&M University. Ms. Vest aims to launch a career in agricultural marketing after college, a pursuit she hopes will sustain Delmarva’s chicken community.
• Karley White, of Middletown, a Caesar Rodney High School graduate who will attend the University of Delaware this fall. Ms. White was deeply involved in her high school’s FFA chapter and intends to obtain a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in veterinary medicine, which would prepare her for a career monitoring chicken flock health.

Since 1985, Delmarva Chicken Association has awarded $222,000 to students pursuing chicken careers through its College Scholarship Program.