Veterinary Scholarship Winners Announced

Two area veterinary school students have been selected to receive scholarships from the Clinton County Farm Bureau Foundation for the 2022-2023 school year. Each recipient was awarded $5,000.

Kristen (Eversgerd) Cotton, daughter of Bryan and Lisa Eversgerd of Centralia, is a 2015 graduate of Carlyle High School and is attending her fourth year of veterinary school at the University of Missouri.

Cotton is specifically interested in the agricultural aspect of large animal veterinary medicine. She loves the idea of being able to educate consumers about the safety precautions that we take as veterinarians to ensure that our food products are safe for all.

Ashley Vonder Haar, daughter of Carl and Lisa Vonder Haar of Carlyle, is a 2016 graduate of Mater Dei High School, a 2020 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, and is currently a third-year veterinary school student at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Vonder Haar is interested in pursuing a career in food animal/mixed animal with production animals. Her main goal is to aid clients with herd health and welfare as well as herd management practices to maximize production. 

After graduation, both Cotton and Vonder Haar aspire to return to Clinton County to pursue careers in veterinary medicine.

The Clinton CFB Foundation started the veterinarian scholarship program back in 2013 to assist students enrolled in their second, third or fourth year at an accredited college of veterinary medicine, specializing in large animals.

Scholarships can be a maximum of $5,000, and a total of $10,000 is dedicated to this program each year. Cotton is a third-time applicant, while this is Vonder Haar’s second opportunity to take advantage of this program. To-date, a total of $32,000 has been awarded through the Foundation’s Veterinarian Scholarship program.

One of the Clinton CFB Foundation’s goals is to provide financial assistance to students entering a field of study directly (or indirectly) related to agriculture. This opportunity (and all Foundation scholarships) is only possible with the generous giving of Farm Bureau members who support the Foundation and its goals.

If you are interested in providing tax-deductible contributions to support the scholarship or Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) programs, contact the office at 526-7235 or [email protected].

The Clinton CFB Foundation would like to congratulate Cotton and Vonder Haar on their accomplishments and scholarship and best wishes for success in college and their professional endeavors.