Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association Scholarship
Congratulations to our 2026 Scholarship Winners
This year, there were nine scholarship recipients for 2026. The scholarships were set up to recognize individuals pursuing an education in a field that will enhance the safety of dairy and food products. These individuals will be recognized at our fall conference in St. Cloud at our awards banquet.
Read more about the recipients below.
Will Bastian
South Dakota State University
Dairy Production
With the passion for wanting to give back to the dairy industry, William plans to return to his family’s dairy farm to apply his education and experiences to improve efficiency, expand the herd, and help the farm continue to grow. Beyond the farm, William is dedicated to advocating for dairy farmers and hopes to become actively involved in organizations like Farm Bureau and his local co-op creamery board. William hopes to give back to his community and leave a lasting positive impact on the dairy industry.
Rebecca Dorn
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Veterinary Medicine
Rebecca completed her undergrad degree at South Dakota State University and is now wrapping up the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine 2+2 program with hopes to become a rural mixed-animal veterinarian and clinical field epidemiologist. She has worked conducting herd health monitoring, calf health evaluations, and research. Her current master’s research examines antibody transfer and disease exposure in calves. At vet school, she serves as the class president, where she organizes meetings while collaborating with students and administration.
Khushi Dubey
South Dakota State University
Dairy Manufacturing
Inspired by her father’s work in dairy manufacturing, Khushi is currently working on her master’s degree at South Dakota State University with hopes to work in research and development of dairy processing and functionality. Her work focuses on milk protein functionality and ingredient innovation. With experience in dairy processing, she would one day like to lead projects that support both consumer health and economic sustainability.
Kaleb Heins
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Animal Science
Growing up, Kaleb found an early connection to the dairy industry through showing cattle and 4-H involvement. The dairy industry has guided how he has spent his free time and eventually his academic path. His experiences led him to wanting a career that blends hands-on dairy production with innovation. In addition to 4-H, Kaleb has been actively involved in FFA, Gopher Dairy Club, Block and Bridle, and Farmhouse Fraternity.
Alexis Hoefs
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Animal Science
From growing up on her family’s dairy farm, Alexis Hoefs gained a front row seat to everything the dairy industry has to offer. Her roles on the farm along with past internship experiences have given her the path to her future plans of supporting dairy producers as a dairy consultant. This avenue will allow her to combine her hands-on experience and passion for the dairy industry to support dairy farmers and contribute to the future success of their operations. Alexis has also been actively involved in 4-H, FFA, Minnesota Junior Holstein Association, Gopher Dairy Club, and Lambda Delta Phi Sorority.
Vaishali Poswal
South Dakota State University
Dairy Manufacturing
From working in milk processing in India to studying Listeria survival in South Dakota, Vaishali has always had a passion for the processing side of dairy. After earning degrees in Dairy Technology and Dairy Microbiology, she came to South Dakota State University to study Dairy Manufacturing. She has worked in producing cheese and ice cream, won national research awards, and served as a South Dakota Dairy Ambassador. Her future goal is to make dairy processing safer and more innovative.
Ella Raatz
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Animal Science & Agriculture Communications and Marketing
Even though she did not grow up on a farm, Ella has found a love for working in the dairy industry. Ella is especially interested in dairy genetics and agriculture outreach, with a goal of strengthening how the industry connects with consumers. Ella has also been actively involved in Gopher Dairy Club, Beta of Clovia Sorority, and various state and national breed associations. Through her academic studies and continued involvement in dairy, she is actively working towards a career that combines agriculture with education and advocacy.
Destiny Smith
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Veterinary Medicine
Destiny completed her undergrad degree at North Dakota State University in microbiology and is now wrapping up her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine to become a large animal veterinarian. Her involvement in 4-H and FFA gave her the valued skills to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. Growing up in a rural community gave Destiny the drive to want to practice in a similar setting – and she couldn’t think of a better place to do so than the Upper Midwest.
Priyamvada Thorakkattu
South Dakota State University
Dairy Manufacturing
Priyamvada is originally from India but is pursuing an advanced degree in dairy manufacturing at South Dakota State University. Priyamvada grew up around cows and a constant surplus of fresh milk, yogurt, and butter. She is pursuing a PhD in dairy manufacturing, planning to pursue a leadership role in dairy research and development to bridge research with practical industry applications.
Madison Wiese
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Animal Science and Agriculture Communications
Madison chose to attend the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities to make more connections to broaden her dairy network. Her background is rooted in hands-on dairy farm experience, where she has developed a deep understanding of farm operations. She is especially interested in improving herd efficiency and using agricultural outreach to better connect producers with consumers. She plans to return to her family’s dairy farm with hopes to stay actively involved in the dairy industry.
Past Scholarship Award Recipients
Minimum eligibility for UMDIA Scholarship Applications:
- Pursuing a degree in Animal Science with emphasis in dairy, Dairy Science, Food Animal Veterinary Medicine, Dairy Manufacturing, Dairy Technology or Dairy Food Science. (Other degree programs may be considered if there is strong evidence of commitment and contribution to the dairy industry.).
- Applicants that have completed their freshman year or greater will be considered.
- Applicants will only be awarded the scholarship once during their academic career.
- Completed at least one semester with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Plans to complete their degree program with the intent to come back and serve the Upper Midwest dairy industry.
- Reference letter (from a faculty member or dairy industry leader, not a family member).
The scholarship program is funded by members and supporters of the Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association. In addition we received a generous donation from Nelson-Jameson and the Central Plains Dairy Foundation to expand the number of scholarships we were able to offer this year.
Nelson-Jameson is a trusted source of food processing supplies, that represents over 850 vendors and distributes over 55,000 products in the broad categories of: processing; maintenance/repair/operations, laboratory and QA/QC, ingredients, packaging, and chemicals.
Nelson-Jameson products are backed by an expert staff, with a vast amount of plant experience and technical expertise, creating a unique environment of personal service and commitment to your products. The products they offer strive to help lower transaction costs while providing the products and services needed to produce safe, quality food. The Central Plains Dairy Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 organization, is committed to investing in proactive programming supporting the dairy industry along the I-29 Corridor in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.
