Cheyenne Burg of Wessington Springs received the William M. Griffith and Byrne S. Griffith Endowment in Agriculture at the recent South Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Scholarship and Recognition Banquet in Brookings. More than 125 scholarships totaling more than $650,000 were awarded as part of the annual celebration of student achievement.
“There have been many changes in the past year, but what has remained the same is that we have bright, talented and motivated students,” Joe Cassady, SD Corn Endowed Dean for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, said in his welcome to banquet attendees. “We have faculty and staff who are committed to the success of those students and we have generous donors who are willing to give of their time and treasure to better enable the success of those students.”
All of the event’s awards, including the William M. Griffith and Byrne S. Griffith Endowment in Agriculture, were made possible through the generosity of donors. The scholarships, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, are awarded based on the selection criteria set by the donor, with some going to students in specific programs of study, some to students who have excelled academically and others reward student contributions outside of the classroom.
The Griffiths recognized the vital role of agriculture to the economy of South Dakota and believed that for a society to fully flourish there must be cultural enrichment, so they created an endowment to award students like Burg, one of this year’s winners.