$40,000 was recently awarded to students of SSMC member-owner families across 12 states and each of our 5 districts. Select Sires Member Cooperative encourages the development of future leaders. By offering scholarships, SSMC supports our team, producers, and the communities we serve.
Incoming college freshman and sophomores from member-owner family operations are eligible to apply. Applicants submit an online application, written essay, video, and transcript to be evaluated. Students who desire to remain in the agricultural industry, especially the dairy and/or beef industries, are given the highest priority. Applications are evaluated by a SSMC board committee, who awards the scholarships.
This upcoming fall, recipients who have been recognized by Select Sires Member Cooperative and have been awarded a scholarship for the 2026-2027 school year will be attending 14 different colleges and universities in both two and four-year programs.
Top District Recipients:
After evaluation, students are scored based on application criteria, and the highest scoring student from each district is given special recognition. The top district recipients for the 2026-2027 school year are Darrin Vander Meulen, Dan Frericks, William Bastian, Alaina Dinderman, David Cox, and Claire Palla.
Darrin Vander Meulen is the District 1 top recipient. From Grandview, Wash., Darrin will start his first year of college at Dordt University where he will be part of their two-year degree program. At Dordt, Darrin will major in Agriculture Technology with a focus on farm operations and management. Darrin believes in giving back to his community and is a big supporter of his fair where he has assisted with many projects while hoping to be more involved in the future.
District 2 had two co-winners as they received identical scores on their application. Dan Frericks is one of the two co-winners. Dan is from Melrose, Minn. and will be returning to the University of Minnesota for his second year in their animal science program. After graduation, he plans to attend the University of Minnesota's veterinary program to become a veterinarian while also co-owning his family farm with his two sisters. He also wants to continue his involvement in 4-H and FFA by assisting with the many events and opportunities these organizations provide to youth in the community.
William Bastian, the second District 2 co-winner, will be a sophomore at South Dakota State University this upcoming fall and will continue his major in Dairy Production. From Fairfax, Minn., he hopes to return to his family farm after graduation to make it more efficient with the knowledge he gained at SDSU. He believes in being an advocate for the dairy community.
An incoming sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Alaina Dinderman is the District 3 top recipient. As an Animal Science major from Orangeville, Ill., Alaina plans to conduct research on campus and attend veterinary school upon graduation. She will continue dairy farming with her family, which helps her stay connected to the industry she is passionate about.
David Cox is from Hanford, Calif., and is the District 4 winner. Majoring in Agricultural Business at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, he is also minoring in Dairy Science to start his own dairy or manage one of his families after graduation. David has a strong understanding of maintaining dairy herds, cow reproductive health, and plant systems which will help him accomplish his goal of making an impact on the California dairy industry.
The District 5 winner from Clovis, N.M., is Claire Palla. Claire will be attending Oklahoma State University to study Agricultural Communications and Agribusiness. She values agricultural education and hopes to bridge the gap between producers and the public. She has a special interest in making an impact on younger generations and individuals who do not have previous exposure to agriculture.
Additional Scholarship Recipients
• Aimee Curtis - Corry, PA - Pennsylvania State University
• Boden VanderMade - Sherwood, OH - The Ohio State University
• Brianna Brogan - St. Charles, MN - University of Minnesota
• Colton Steinert - Enid, OK - Mid-America Christian University
• John Rosa - Hanford, CA - California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
• Kale Taubenheim - Amherst, NE - University of Nebraska
• Brenan Alves - Fallon, NV - California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
• Lucy Homan - New Bremen, OH - Wilmington College
• Ethan Church - Minnesota City, MN - University of Wisconsin
• Kase DeGroot - Fresno, CA - Oklahoma State University
• Charlie Cox - Hanford, CA - California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
• Annika Schmelzer - Ridgeway, IA - Iowa State University
• Cavin Carlson - Pennock, MN - South Dakota State University
• Daisie Huth - Bunceton, MO - University of Missouri
• Ethan Palmer - Waukon, IA - University of Minnesota
• Luke Bastian - Fairfax, MN - South Dakota State University
At Select Sires Member Cooperative we believe in supporting the efforts and long-term goals of member-owners, and scholarships are one way we help to accomplish this goal and strengthen the future of our great industry. We are excited to see what the future has in store for these young individuals!
Watch our website at ssmcoop.com/scholarships/ for the opening of applications for the 2027-2028 school year! Eligible applicants include students from member-owner families who will be freshman or sophomores during the 2027-2028 school year.
