Lely North America is proud to announce six remarkable individuals as recipients of the 2025 Lely Future of Dairy Scholarships. This year, more students applied than ever before, and, after considerable deliberation, we are pleased to award two, one-time/non-renewable $1,500 college scholarships and four, one-time/non-renewable $500 high-school scholarships.
College Scholarship Winners
Emma McLaughlin – Dairy Industry Scholarship
Emma McLaughlin will graduate from Pennsylvania State University in December 2025. She will complete an on-farm internship this summer through the Dairy Excellence Foundation and hopes to be hired as a herd manager after graduation. Although she did not grow up on a farm, her passion for animals and livestock led to her pursuing a career in the dairy industry and majoring in animal science, business and an animal management option.
Alana Lee - Dairy Technology Scholarship
Alana Lee, a graduate student at Pennsylvania State University, is passionate about precision livestock farming (PLF), combining agriculture and advanced technology to support farmers. Her global experiences and research focuses on developing practical, affordable tools, like early disease detection systems. Lee received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University in 2024.
High School Scholarship Winners
Kacey Dean
Kacey Dean of Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia, Canada, has a strong background in agriculture working as a farm hand. She is a published children's author and speaker and has been a childcare provider, camp leader and is active in 4-H and school athletics. She plans to attend Dalhousie University to major in agricultural business.
Cody Gonzales
Cody Gonzales of Dickinson, Texas, is a top-ranked high school senior with a 4.84 GPA, who plans to attend Texas A&M University to major in poultry science with a minor in agricultural economics, eventually aspiring for a career in agricultural law. He has extensive leadership experience in FFA, public speaking, agricultural competitions and community service.
Blake Jauquet
Blake Jauquet is a senior with strong leadership experience in 4-H and FFA. He already holds a technical degree in diesel maintenance from Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College and has extensive hands-on experience growing up on a dairy farm. Blake plans to pursue a degree in agricultural business at Iowa State University with a goal to specialize in risk management and hedging and eventually return to his family farm.
Kiara Konyn
Kiara Konyn of Escondido, California, is an accomplished student with years of experience showing and judging dairy cattle. Growing up on a dairy farm, Kiara managed livestock while excelling academically through rigorous coursework. Her leadership roles include many positions in 4-H and FFA, and she currently serves as the California Jersey Queen. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin to major in animal science, where she will pursue a career in veterinary medicine.
The team at Lely North America thanks all the fantastic students who applied for this year's scholarship. Our team is excited for what the future holds with such bright young individuals!