The USPOULTRY Foundation recently awarded a $7,000 student recruiting grant to Wilkes Community College (WCC) in North Carolina. The grant was made possible in part from an endowing Foundation gift from Case Farms.
The grant check was presented by John Starkey, president of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), to Matthew Greene, lead instructor for the Animal Science program at WCC. Joining in the presentation were several WCC faculty and students as well as representatives from Tyson Foods, including Andrew Boyles who also represented the North Carolina Poultry Federation.
The funds will be used to spearhead WCC recruitment efforts for the Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Applied Animal Science Technology, which prepares students for careers in the production of livestock as well as other careers related to the animal science industry.
“Wilkes Community College is proud to have quality partners like the USPOULTRY Foundation. Northwestern North Carolina needs graduates in the animal science field. With the average farmer age nearing 60, we need young, trained hands entering the field. Our graduates are highly sought after and have a career that fits their passion,” commented Greene.
“One of the core missions of the USPOULTRY Foundation is to recruit the brightest minds into the poultry industry. We are very pleased to provide these funds to assist Wilkes Community College in letting their talented students know about the wide range of career opportunities available in our industry, across many academic disciplines,” stated Starkey.
The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded recruiting grants totaling $328,300 for the 2018-19 school year to 34 colleges and universities across the United States with either a poultry science department or a poultry studies program. The student recruiting program dates to 1994 when the USPOULTRY board of directors established the Foundation to provide annual recruiting funds to attract students to poultry studies and ultimately into careers in the poultry industry.
