The Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Association (WALSAA) has continued its proud tradition of promoting student excellence at UW–Madison. After receiving countless applications, the WALSAA scholarship committee narrowed its search for the top 10 Outstanding Sophomores through a rigorous prescreening process focused equally on academic achievement, campus involvement/leadership, community service and relevant experience.
From there, 26 students were selected to interview in front of a panel of three WALSAA members on Zoom. Ten final recipients were selected based on interview performance. Awards were presented on April 9, 2021 at the WALSAA Virtual Awards Ceremony that can also be viewed online at WALSAA.org/walsaa-scholarships/.
WALSAA’s 2021 Outstanding Sophomore recipients include:
- Ryan Gehin; Baraboo, Wisconsin; Dairy science
- Sakar Gupta; Appleton, Wisconsin; Biology
- Lauren Lansing; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Biology
- Kalina Larsen; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Genetics and genomics
- Lydia Larsen; Neenah, Wisconsin; Genetics and genomics
- Tanner Oyen; Lancaster, Wisconsin; Agronomy
- Olivia Spaight; Waterford, Wisconsin; Dairy science
- McKenzie Trinko; Shawano, Wisconsin; Animal science
- Olivia Van Hammond; Appleton, Wisconsin; Global health
- Alexis Wery; Brussels, Wisconsin; Genetics and genomics
