Stanley Weeks Scholarship Winners Announced

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (January 15, 2019) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program is excited to announce the recipients of the Stanley Weeks Scholarship. 

Stanley Weeks established a fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to promote 4-H youth to pursue careers in horticulture, conservation, animal science or agricultural engineering. Each fall the 4-H Program Committee selects the winners of the grant. Youth must be pursuing a career in one of the aforementioned fields as well as show significant accomplishments in that field.

This year’s recipients are Josephine Allen, Kayla Schauman, Emily Starceski, and Bryanna Warner.

Josephine Allen has been in 4-H for nine years and is a member of the Sherman Kountry Kids 4-H club. She will be graduating from Sherman High School in June with plans to pursue a career in the dairy industry. Josie hopes to attend SUNY Cobleskill or Cornell University. Josie is active in the dairy and hog projects. She is also active in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program at Sherman. Josie participates in dairy judging in 4-H and with FFA. She serves as a junior superintendent in the hog barn at the Chautauqua County Fair and raises blue-ribbon animals. She placed second in her showmanship class at the 2018 Chautauqua County Fair. Josie has earned the Empire Degree, the highest honor a NY FFA member can receive. She currently serves as the District 10 FFA president.

Kayla Schauman has been in 4-H for ten years and is the president of the Little Brokenstraws 4-H club. She is active in the hog, steer and heifer, lamb, market chicken, and club projects. She will be graduating from Panama Central School in June and has committed to SUNY Morrisville. Kayla hopes to become an agriculture teacher. Kayla has successfully raised several grand and reserve champion animals in many species that she breeds on her family farm. She is the president of her FFA chapter and competes in many FFA competitions. She is active with livestock judging and has exhibited her animals in shows across Pennsylvania and New York including the great New York State Fair.

Emily Starceski has been in 4-H for nine years and is also a member of the Sherman Kountry Kids 4-H club. Emily is active in the dairy project. She will be graduating from Sherman Central School in June and has been accepted to Cornell University. She plans on pursuing a degree in animal science with a focus in animal genetics. She hopes to go to vet school and open a clinic near home. Emily enjoys animal genetics, breeding, care, and maintenance. Thanks to Emily’s breeding selections her family’s farm has won numerous awards for their excellent dairy cattle. She is an active member of FFA in Sherman and participates in the vet science team placing seventh in the state in the 2018 competition.

Bryanna Warner has been in 4-H for nine years and was a past member of the Frewsburg Hayseeds 4-H club. She has participated in the hog, beef, sheep, and horse projects. Bryanna will be graduating from Frewsburg Central School in June and has her sights set on the University of Findlay or SUNY Morrisville for an agricultural business degree. She hopes to pursue a career in agricultural sales and marketing. Bryanna is an accomplished showman and has participated in shows all across the northeast. She has raised many grand and reserve champion animals and places well in showmanship at shows in and out of Chautauqua County. She enjoys learning all aspects it takes to produce a show-ready animal. Throughout her years of showing she has gained a significant amount of knowledge that has led her to success in and out of the show ring.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated January 15, 2019