50 Scholarships Awarded to APHA Youth Exhibitors
Logo courtesy of APHA.
PHJ press release by: Laura Jesberg
Each year, the American Paint Horse Foundation awards scholarship funds to some of AjPHA’s most deserving young members. Over the past 25 years, APHF has awarded more than $810,000 in scholarships to 305 students.
Who are the students who receive foundation scholarships? They are the hard-working young horsemen and -women you see striving every day to be the best both in the horse show arena and in their academic pursuits. These students are supported by the generous donations given to the foundation program by APHA members in honor of loved ones or by regional Paint Horse clubs or zones.
For academic scholarship consideration, students must be a member of the AjPHA or APHA, must pass a college entrance examination, provide three letters of reference and submit an essay explaining their educational plans. After they have been granted a scholarship, they must maintain a “B” or better grade-point average to be eligible for renewal.
A total of 17 students received new scholarships for 2015-2016. They are:
| Laurel Caldwell | Southwest Washington PHC | TBD |
| Kimberlyn Crisp | Bud & Bev Shoemaker | Tarleton State University |
| Brinley Evans | Ashley Huntington Memorial | Fort Hays State University |
| Taylor Gibson | Zone Three #2 | CO Northwestern Community College |
| Jennifer Hines | Jason Sheriff Memorial | Morrisville State College |
| Katlyn Humphreys | Bob & Theda Bartholomew | TBD |
| Anna Hutlas | Ark La Tex PHC | University of Georgia |
| Kassandra Jones | Utah PHC #1 | TBD |
| Catherine Lankford | Keith Lemoine Memorial | Georgia Northwestern Technical Col |
| Morgan Johnson | Zone Two | University of California Berkeley |
| Madison Malsch | Zone Three #4 | Texas A&M University |
| Meredith Milton | Cross Timbers PHC #2 | University of South Carolina |
| Charles Rufo | Nebraska PHC | Oklahoma State University |
| Amber Spinuzzi | Arizona PHC #2 | University of Nevada-Reno |
| Taylor Tuso | Mikea Smith Honorarium | Texas A&M University |
| Callie Jo Ware | Paul White Memorial | University of Findlay |
| Jessica Wood | Zone Three #2 | University of Guelph |
To renew, students much provide the previous semester’s official transcript and an update on their educational plans and goals. Thirty three students renewed their scholarships for the 2015-2016 academic year. They are:
| Brayanna Bergstrom | Illinois PHC #1 | Baylor University |
| Ella Brave | Bill & Joye Bryan Memorial | Lunds University |
| Nicole Bricker | California Paint Racing | University of Missouri |
| Gabrielle Buono | Joann Cook Memorial | Berry College |
| McKenna Coveney | Arizona PHC #1 | Cal Poly Pomona |
| Serina Lee Pack | Utah PHC #3 | Western New Mexico University |
| Cheyenne Patton | Zone Three #1 | Oklahoma State University |
| Lauren Spivey | Lee Newsom Memorial | Auburn University |
| Jessica Taylor | Illinois PHC #2 | South Dakoka State University |
| Eva Werschky | Arizona PHC #3 | University of Nevada Reno |
| Celsey Beneda | Zone Three #3 | Kansas State University |
| Tasha Gibson | Roland & Joan Hoch Memorial | CO Northwestern Comm College |
| Meagen Jones | Arizona PHC #6 | Brigham Young University |
| Brogan Horton | Matt Diamond Memorial | Texas A&M University |
| Makenzie Keefer | Central California PHC | Colorado State University |
| Nadine Miller | Washington PHC | Washington State University |
| Ashley Moore | Zone One #2 | Oregon State University |
| Jamie Riley | Zone One #1 | University of Montana Western |
| Kelsey Richie | Lynn Simons Memorial #2 | Texas Christian University |
| Shay Voorhees | Duane Pettibone Memorial | Dallas Baptist University |
| Chloe Benning | Cross Timbers PHC #1 | Baylor University |
| Erin Blochberger | Floyd & MaryAnn Moore #1 | Texas A&M University |
| Kirsten Chamberland | Wonderlich | TBD |
| Taylor Dixon | Sheila Plimpton Memorial | University of Georgia |
| Hannah Himmellmann | Idaho PHC | University of Kentucky |
| Courtney Hall | Floyd & MaryAnn Moore #2 | Missouri State University |
| Nicole Jennings | Dr. Bill Jackson | University of Findlay Ohio |
| Crystal Ann Mitchell | Zone One #3 | University of Wisconsin Madison |
| Kelsey Kafesjian | Yoesel Memorial | Colorado State University |
| Andrea Nelson | Arizona PHC #4 | Utah State University |
| Sarah Nelson | Lynn Simons Memorial #1 | University of Saint Thomas |
| Lindsey Valdiviez | Robert Hass Memorial | Baylor University |
| Morgan Vance | Mary & Robert Parrott | Oklahoma State University |
Interested in supporting the youth of APHA? Our Youth scholarship program is growing every year. We offer several ways to donate for education.
- Academic Scholarships – Contribute to one of our existing endowments that fund a scholarship every year.
- Youth World Championship Show Scholarships – This new initiative generates scholarship funds for AjPHA members competing at our championship show. The scholarship funds add up each year an exhibitor competes in select classes.
For more information or to donate, visit apha.com/foundation or contact Laura Jesberg at (817) 222-6412 or ljesberg@apha.com.
