Kenton James awarded state scholarship from American Farmers Ranchers Coop

Kenton James of Marlow was recognized as a recipient of the 2023 American Farmers Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative Incoming Freshman State Scholarship in February. James attends the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Our organization and our membership are committed to the future of the agricultural industry in Oklahoma,” said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “We are proud to provide opportunities for professional development for our state’s agricultural youth. This financial support is just one more way for us to invest in tomorrow’s industry leaders.”

AFR annual state scholarships are available to qualified students in all 77 Oklahoma counties. Students are eligible to apply for the AFR Incoming Freshman State Scholarship during their senior year of high school. Students may apply for the AFR Continuing Education State Scholarship throughout their undergraduate career. Both previous and first-time applications are eligible for the AFR Continuing Education Scholarship.

Scholarship applications are selected by the AFR Scholarship Committee based on knowledge of the organization, AFR involvement, leadership activities, scholastic achievement and financial need. To be eligible for either scholarship, applicants must have attended a minimum of two years of the AFR Senior Leadership Summit. They must also have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be an AFR Insurance policyholder.

Scholarship recipients are announced in June of each year and are recognized the following February during the annual AFR convention. For information on AFR scholarship opportunities or other AFR Youth Program projects, contact AFR Youth Coordinator Tailor Atkinson at (405) 218-5566 or tailor.atkinson@afrmic.com.

AFR Cooperative is a membership services organization established in 1905 as Oklahoma Farmers Union. AFR provides educational, legislative and cooperative programs across the state and serves as a watchdog for Oklahoma’s family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. The organization is actively supportive of the state’s agricultural industry and rural population with membership consisting of farmers actively involved in production agriculture and non-farmers adding their voice in support of AFR principles.

Editor’s Note: This release was buried in our inbox and overlooked when it was released in February. We regret the oversight and will always try to do the right thing when we discover our own error.