GEORGETOWN, Del. — The Delmarva Chicken Association recently announced its granting of $30,000 worth of scholarships to 15 students pursuing college and graduate degrees related to the chicken industry through the DCA College Scholarship Program.
Three graduate students and 12 undergraduate students earned these scholarships based on their applications, recommendations from others, and academic achievements after a committee of DCA members reviewed them, the DCA said in a statement about the scholarships.
“By supporting these students, DCA is nurturing the next generation of leaders in our chicken community,” Holly Porter, DCA executive director, said. “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 graduate students received $3,000 each, and they are Bishal Bhattachan of Hyattsville, Md., Unishma Ghimire of Princess Anne, Md., and Jiddu Joseph of Newark, Del.
Bhattachan is a graduate student at the University of Maryland who hopes to become a poultry researcher, making advances in gut health, nutrition, and muscle biology, DCA states. Ghimire is also a graduate student at the University of Maryland, but she is seeking her master’s degree to continue studying heat stress resilience in chickens. Joseph is a graduate student at the University of Delaware, pursuing a doctoral degree in animal and food sciences, and has focused his research on pathogens that threaten flock health, DCA added.
The undergraduate students received $2,000 each, and they are Macy Cook of Cordova, Md.; Mason Jewell of Hartley, Del.; McKenna Vest of Clayton, Del., Caroline Kimball of Ridgely, Md.; Avery Kerrick of Greenwood, Del.; Muhammad Ibrahim of Hurlock, Md.; Brooklynne Keiser of Smyrna, Del.; Madeline Tomlinson of Parsonsburg, Md.; Katelyn Sankar of Centerville, Md.; and Sarah Yamakawa of Fruitland, Md.
They’re all pursuing degrees related to the poultry and agriculture industries.
In addition to the 15 scholarship recipients, two other students earned special “pick of the flock” $500 scholarships, drawn from the remaining pool of strong scholarship candidates, DCA noted.
The additional students are Madelyn Cook of Eden, Md.; and Brayden Hearn of Laurel, Md. They’re both pursuing business degrees to help the Delmarva chicken industry.
Since 1985, DCA has awarded $300,500 to students pursuing degrees relevant to chicken careers through its College Scholarship Program, which is funded by DCA’s College Scholarship Golf Tournament, DCA added.
For more information about the scholarship program, visit the DCA at www.dcachicken.com.
