Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School student Jenny Schildroth has been awarded a $1,500 scholarship from America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, a new program sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Schildroth, of Reinbeck, plans to attend Buena Vista University in the fall to pursue a degree in agricultural marketing and sales.

“Jenny is a role model because of her dedication to the variety of programs and activities in which she is involved,” said Ariel Patton, the high school counselor. “She has always cared about academics and her GPA shows it. Jenny always works very hard and is a humble student. These traits will lead to her success in the future.”

The future of agriculture relies on talented young people like Schildroth to fill thousands of jobs in a variety of fields, such as plant science, engineering, communications, finance and more. Grow Ag Leaders encourages rural youth to remain in agriculture and provides scholarships to support their education.

Grow Ag Leaders scholarships, administered by the National FFA Organization, are available to high school seniors and college students pursuing degrees in ag-related fields. To be considered, each applicant is required to receive endorsements from at least three local farmers. Thanks to farmers and a successful six-state pilot launch in 2014, the program was expanded across the country. With support from the Monsanto Fund, more than $500,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students this year. For more information, visit GrowAgLeaders.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders is part of the America’s Farmers initiative. Since 2010, the America’s Farmers campaign and programs have advocated on behalf of farmers and their efforts to meet society’s needs through agriculture. Today, consumers are more interested than ever in agriculture and how food is grown. Consider joining the conversation and helping to raise awareness about agriculture. Learn more at FoodDialogues.com.