During their semi-annual fall board meeting, the WROF, Inc. increased their scholarship funding to award 155 rural Wisconsin scholars attending 26 educational institutions and programs during the 2024-25 academic year. This totals $213,000.
Under the approved budget, there will be four new awards.
First, the WROF is re-establishing its support of the Farm & Industry Short Course.
Second, the organization will address the need for more large animal veterinarians in Wisconsin. WROF is partnering with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners to give 10 students a $2,000 stipend to complete an externship at a participating large animal veterinary clinic in Wisconsin.
“This program will greatly impact veterinary students who have already committed seven years of their life to become large animal veterinarians,” says Board Director Jerry Gaska. “It will help get these students where the work needs to get done in rural Wisconsin.”
Students and veterinary clinics who want to participate can contact info@wrof.org.
Third, WROF will fund two sustainability internships at Beneficial Insectary, managed through UW-Platteville. These internships will help students prepare to be part of a new growing industry in Wisconsin.
Finally, the organization will continue its support of rural high school students through the Premier Scholarship Award Program. For the 2024-25 academic year, the WROF will increase its funding to award five outstanding high school seniors each $3,000 to pursue post-secondary education. Application for the WROF, Inc. Premier Scholarship will open online on Jan. 5 at www.wrof.org.
“Our scholarships have not only helped rural educators, veterinarians, and other agricultural producers and skilled labor workers, but also medical doctors, nurse practitioners, and others in the medical field,” says President Joan Behr. “We look forward to the new year, keeping up with the needs of rural Wisconsin, and sustaining rural Wisconsin’s vitality.”
