Scholarships are open to Lancaster County juniors and seniors who enroll in courses offered at HACC within the agribusiness field of study while still enrolled in high school.
The dual enrollment program is a wonderful opportunity for Lancaster County students, according to Michael C. Corradino, assistant dean of academic affairs at the Lancaster Campus of HACC.
"Some of our target group of high school students currently come from an agriculture background but many of them do not. We acknowledge the foresight of the Board of Commissioners of the County of Lancaster to fund the college's proposal that will help further the education and agribusiness careers of young people in Lancaster County," said Corradino.
Recipients of this semester's scholarships include Kirsten N. Harmon and Katelin A. Sheckart, both Penn Manor High School seniors residing in Millersville and enrolled in HACC's Introduction to Agribusiness. Stephan P. Hess of Lancaster, a homeschooled junior, is enrolled in Principles of Marketing and Introduction to Agribusiness.
"I'm leaning toward agriculture law, marketing or even being a veterinarian," says Harmon, emphasizing that there is more to agribusiness than farming. "I like the dual enrollment program with HACC and the ease with which I can earn college credits while attending high school."
County commissioners, local businesses and members of the community all want to make sure young people get exposed to more than just farming. They want to elevate the visibility and economical importance of agribusiness in the county and need young students to get involved.
"The Board of Commissioners welcome opportunities that promote both education and economic development, planting seeds within our youth so that they remain in the county where they were raised," said Dick Shellenberger on behalf of the Board of Commissioners in his capacity as Chairman. "We want Lancaster County to remain a great place to live, learn, work and play."
"This program was created specifically to address agriculture and the state of agriculture in Lancaster County," said Corradino."In addition to farms, there are numerous food and food processing companies in Lancaster County. We want to preserve the farmlands but still need people that want to get involved in that aspect.
"This feeds into quality of life issues and is part of a larger effort in the community. We need education initiatives to help prepare students to consider agribusiness as a career option. We hope Lancaster County's tuition support is the first of many initiatives that enables HACC to be supportive of the County's agriculture business efforts," said Corradino.
Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to earn up to 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters that could be applied toward HACC's agribusiness associate degree program. Students may take classes during the day or evening.
HACC's agribusiness courses provide a solid foundation for students planning a career in this industry, which encompasses a wide range of jobs considered "from farm to fork" or agricultural processes to national and global markets.
Agribusiness students study management of food systems, economics, marketing and sustain the processes that move agricultural commodities from the field to the consumer.
Career opportunities exist as food packaging and distribution managers, product and package designers, food safety and quality assurance managers and agribusiness marketing, financial and services managers.
Students interested in applying for The County of Lancaster Agribusiness Scholarships must meet the following criteria:
- " Candidates must be juniors or seniors in a Lancaster County public high school, career and technology center, private high school, or
- " home schooled students residing in Lancaster County who are at a junior or senior level.
- " Candidates must have a GPA of 2.5 or better in high school courses
- " Preference is given to the candidates planning to pursue Agribusiness Studies at HACC, either as a full-time or part-time student
- " Candidates must complete a scholarship application and 250-word essay indicating the reason they are applying for the scholarship and also their vision of the role of agriculture/agribusiness in the development of Lancaster County over the next 10 years.
The County of Lancaster Agribusiness Scholarships cover the tuition and fees associated with the cost of the courses. Students are responsible for the $35 HACC application fee and the textbooks approximated at $65 per course. Scholarship recipients can enroll in no more than two courses each semester.
The deadline to apply for the scholarships for the fall 2006 semester is Monday, Nov. 13. For a complete application packet, contact Heather Collins, secondary partnership coordinator at the Lancaster Campus, at 717-358-2991 or hlcollin@hacc.edu.