State Fair of Texas Announces 2016 Youth Scholarship Recipients

After serving as an integral part of the organization for 24 years, the State Fair of Texas Youth Scholarship Program continues to uphold the Fair’s mission by supporting agriculture, education and community involvement. The State Fair is delighted to carry on the tradition again this year and will be awarding college scholarships to 201 graduating high school seniors, with 90 Pete Schenkel Scholarship recipients and 111 Youth Livestock Scholarship recipients. With each student receiving a $6,000 grant over four years, the Fair will be awarding a total of more than $1.2 million in scholarships to the class of 2016. In addition to these new recipients, the Fair is supporting approximately 325 students currently attending a state college or university.

A total of 90 graduating seniors are being awarded the State Fair of Texas Pete Schenkel Scholarship, including: Erin Adams, Esmeralda Alejo, Alicia Allen, Angelica Escorza, Denise Garcia-Balderas, Karen Gonzalez, Tramondranique Hawkins, Sarahi Hernandez Valencia, Kimberly Herrera, Katherine Larios, Aloma Lopez, Hazel Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Natalia Mata, Mariela Medina, Maria Mendoza, Rosa Mendoza, Linh Pham, Gizehv Ramirez, Madison Shubert and Beatriz Vaquera, of Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School; LaTracia Bell, Dorothy Bryant, Melvin Craddock, Jr., Angel Cruz, Jonathan Elliott, Debrciya Everette, Shatara Flentroy, Terry Love, Shaniya Lynch, Jasmine McCarthy, Rodrigo Salazar and Keuntis Small, of James Madison High School; Kayla Bobo, Laquianshie Bonner, Robert Craddock, Twantanisha Derrough, Felicia George, Trinidad Hernandez, Kalisha Hines, Kenneth Hoskins, Breanna Jackson, Angel Jenkins, Darnesha Johnson, Kewona-Labria Jones, Tania Mejia Rodriguez, Jabari Richardson, Dequavia Simpson, Kiara Simpson, LaShasta Smith, Alexis Washington, Frederica Williams and Caleb Young, of Lincoln High School; Melissa Calderon, Sharae Campbell, Kaitlyn Contreras, Itzel Estrada, Julio Garcia, Lori Garcia, Jennifer Hernandez, Isael Longoria, Luz Macias, Danny Nguyen, Shayla Nguyen, Brenda Soria, Heidi Subiza, Sade Varnado, Annie Vo and Gustavo Zamarripa, of North Dallas High School; Alissa Amaro, Julia Aves, Ruth Blaker, Andrew DeRouen, Madeline Devine, Hutton England, Vaughn Ferron, Gabriella Hernandez, Paola Hernandez, Gabriel Jankovsky, David Juan, Konstadinos Labos, Cole Martinez, Lissete Mendez, Georgie Osgood, Alexandra Patton, Adina Smirin, Snigdha Srivastava, Michael Tepera, Yuel Tesfu and Annalyse Zotos, of Woodrow Wilson High School.

With representation from 94 cities across Texas, a total of 111 students are being awarded the State Fair of Texas Youth Livestock Scholarship, including: Bailey Baade of Franklin, Morgan Baethge of Harper, Rylee Barber of Channing, Brittany Beggs of Oakwood, Kassidy Bego of Goliad, Brielle Bobo of Hewitt, Sonny Bohannon of Wellington, Reagan Brashears of Wolfforth, Jessica Brown of Hickory Creek, Natalie Brown of Magnolia, Kennadee Buchanan of Turkey, Jaci Burgin of Spearman, Emily Bush of Riesel, Hannah Celella of Terrell, Ian Cobb of Slaton, Amber Compton of Georgetown, Hailey Cooper of Farmersville, Rebecca Craig of Frost, Sarah Crum of Iredell, Megan Day of China Spring, Alyssa Denson of Adkins, Ryan Earp of Florence, Aspen Eaton of Ovalo, Delynne Freelove of Booker, Morgan Friesenhahn of Marion, Cheyenne Gamangasso of Cleveland, Clayton Garrett of Marshall, Cooper Gilliland of Royse City, Colby Gipson of Gilmer, Kaily Graham of Sunnyvale, Mackenzie Gramling of Krum, Hope Halfmann of Garden City, Alexandria Harrell of Gainesville, Payton Harrell of Spearman, Callie Hawkins of Canyon, Hannah Hawkins of Canyon, Lauren Hayes of Dawson, Chase Heffernan of Georgetown, Case Hendrix of Princeton, Shayla Holland of Argyle, Charles Hoppe of Leander, Jacob Irvin of Hico, Casey Jennings of Poolville, Katherine Jones of Chico, Kristin Keally of Anderson, Tanner Keeton of Borger, Reagan Langemeier of Marion, Colton Leopold of Nada, Payton Lipsey of Waxahachie, Laney Lord of Red Oak, Catherine Luft of Justin, Cathryn Macaluso of Ovilla, Kyle Malaer of Port Lavaca, Lyndsi Marquart of Marion, Kolbi Martin of Henrietta, Victoria Martin of Grapeland, Conner McKinzie of Stephenville, Danielle McMillen of Dalhart, Haley Merrithew of Granbury, Ashley Merritt of Seguin, Garrett Meurer of Aquilla, Aaron Milligan of Lufkin, Payton Miner of New Braunfels, Tarah Moore of Hico, Rayanne Muenich of Seguin, Benjamin Murphy of Cleburne, Dylan Pacetti of Rowlett, Faith Parum of Big Spring, Kylie Patterson of San Antonio, Annie Perez of Bryan, Taylor Perryman of Seminole, Johnna Pieniazek of Adkins, Maggie Pipkin of Spearman, Mackenzie Powell of Anna, Haylon Powers of Nacogdoches, Jeyson Price of Brackettville, Courtlyn Ranly of Troy, Kelley Ranly of Troy, Caitlin Reed of Diana, Hollyann Roach of Keller, Flint Roberts of O’Donnell, Jenna Roth of Pilot Point, Brooke Rudder of Sanger, Amelia Rutherford of Denison, J.D. Schnitker of Turkey, Kodi Schroeder of Caldwell, Mayson Schulze of Seguin, Kodie Sears of Weatherford, Heather Shaw of Mason, Will Shaw of Wichita Falls, Cole Shawn of Bridgeport, Shae Shodrock of Floresville, Ryan Smith of Lubbock, Menzi Spiller of Fredericksburg, Sarah Spradlin of Granbury, Tanner Stefka of Caldwell, Stephanie Stokes of Andrews, Addison Stuver of Teague, William Sullivan of Wylie, Erin Supak of La Grange, Lindsey Tarby of Princeton, Morgan Thomas of Raymondville, Jacob Traylor of Gilmer, Lyric Waugh of Allen, Carson Wienecke of Lampasas, Ashley Wilde of San Angelo, Katherine Wilganowski of Temple, Paige Williams of Denver City, Savannah Wood of Longview, Hagan Wright of Wolfforth and Hannah Wunderlich of Spring Branch.

Since its establishment in 1992, the program has awarded scholarships to more than 1,800 students. To honor its past Chairman Pete Schenkel, each year the State Fair awards multiple college scholarships to selected applicants from five Dallas Independent School District high schools surrounding the Fair Park area – Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, James Madison, Lincoln, North Dallas and Woodrow Wilson High Schools. In addition, the State Fair awards scholarships to selected applicants who have participated in youth livestock competitions at the State Fair of Texas and are enrolling in an agricultural-related or agricultural-benefiting curriculum.

Scholastic performance is important, with preference given to students ranking in the top 25% of their class. Recipients receive a $6,000 grant, renewable in $1,500 annual increments if the student meets the criteria for renewal. Students must attend an accredited college or university within the state of Texas. Recipients must enroll in a minimum of 12 hours for the fall 2016 term. In order to qualify for scholarship renewal, recipients must enroll in, and pass, a minimum of 12 hours each semester. In addition, recipients must achieve a minimum 2.5 GPA their first semester and a 3.0 cumulative GPA for every semester thereafter.

The Fair congratulates these deserving students on their accomplishments and is happy to support them in reaching for and achieving their dreams. The State Fair of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not receive any government funding or support. Its nonprofit purpose is funded through the proceeds from the annual State Fair of Texas event. The net proceeds from the Fair are reinvested in Fair Park, in the form of capital improvements; given as scholarships to deserving youth throughout the state of Texas; used to support Fair Park museum facilities and community outreach programs; and used to improve the State Fair’s operation. Help support the Fair’s mission of celebrating all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment by attending this year’s exposition. The gates open for the 2016 State Fair of Texas starting September 30 through October 23, with the theme “Celebrating Texas Agriculture.”