Agricultural Communication Scholarships
Purdue Agricultural Communication awards scholarship awards to outstanding students thanks to the support of our donors.
We are now accepting applications for the 2024 awards and the application information appears below. The application deadline for all the scholarships listed on this page is February 16.
Please note that these scholarships are not found in the university scholarship site.
To apply for other Purdue University and College of Agriculture scholarships, visit the Purdue Scholarship Universe website.
Find more information about Purdue College of Agriculture scholarships.

Tom Budd Indiana Prairie Farmer Outstanding Freshman in Agricultural Communication Award
This award recognizes a qualified incoming freshman based on scholarship, extracurricular activities, and commitment to the Agricultural Communication program at Purdue. The winner receives a plaque and a $500 scholarship award. In addition, the student will be interviewed for a feature story in Indiana Prairie Farmer upon arriving to campus in the fall.
2024 Tom Budd Scholarship Application (pdf)
RICHARD AND CARMEN ALEXANDER Outstanding Sophomore in Agricultural Communication Award
This award recognizes and rewards a qualified sophomore's contributions to the public understanding of agriculture, outstanding academic performance, and involvement in professional and community activities. Applicants must be sophomores (at least 30 credits and no more than 60) in the fall of the next year that they apply. The winner receives a $500 scholarship award. Applications require a 250-word statement, resume, and academic transcript.
2024 Alexander Scholarship application (pdf)
Farmer's Exchange Outstanding Junior in Agricultural Communication Award
This award recognizes and rewards a qualified junior for outstanding academic performance, outstanding journalistic performance and potential, professional and community involvement, and contributions to the public understanding of agriculture. Applicants must be juniors (at least 60 credits and no more than 90) in the fall of the next year that they apply. The winner receives a $500 scholarship award. Applications require a 250-word statement, resume, and academic transcript.
2024 Farmer's Exchange Scholarship application (pdf)
Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award
This award recognizes and rewards a qualified senior for outstanding contributions to the public understanding of agriculture, academic performance, and involvement in professional and community activities. Applicants must be a seniors (at least 90 credits) in the fall of the next year that they apply. The winner receives a $500 scholarship award. Applications require a 250-word statement, resume, and academic transcript.
2023 Scholarship Recipients

Jordyn Wickard
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Outstanding Sophomore in Agricultural Communication Award
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Jordyn Wickard hails from Greenfield, Indiana, where her passion for agriculture began. She grew up on her family's homestead farm, raising and showing registered Angus cattle, Boer goats, and market lambs at the county, state, and national levels. She is interested in a wide range of avenues within communications, including broadcasting, digital media, and marketing. She hopes to find a career that is rooted in the livestock industry, sharing the word about the agriculture to fellow agriculturalists.

Mina Reising
- Farmer's Exchange Outstanding Junior in Agricultural Communication Award
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award

Kate Mattingly
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award

Allison Lund
- Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award

Melanie Hasler
- Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award

Erin Anderson
- Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Previous Recipients
2022
Ainsley Kratochvil
Richard and Carmen Alexander Outstanding Sophomore in Agricultural Communication Award and Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Ella Newcomb
Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Allison Lund
Farmer's Exchange Outstanding Junior in Agricultural Communication Award and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Melanie Hasler
Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Tomi Harrod
Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Bella Monroe
Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Award
Mina Reising
Tom Budd Outstanding Freshman in Agricultural Communication Award (sponsored by Indiana Prairie Farmer)
Allison Lund
Outstanding Sophomore in Agricultural Communication Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Mallori McGraw
Outstanding Sophomore in Agricultural Communication Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Tomi Harrod
The Farmer's Exchange Outstanding Junior in Agricultural Communication Award and Agricultural Communication Outstanding Junior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Claire Baney
Agricultural Communication Outstanding Junior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Laura Barrett
Indiana Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award and Agricultural Communication Outstanding Senior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Kari Slagel
Indiana Farm Bureau Outstanding Senior in Agricultural Communication Award and Agricultural Communication Outstanding Senior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Kirsten Mehling
Agricultural Communication Outstanding Senior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)
Macey Orme
Agricultural Communication Outstanding Senior Award (sponsored by the Richard and Carmen Alexander Agricultural Communication Fund)