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CHICO, Calif. — Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is proud to announce that it has awarded more than $15,000 in academic scholarships to outstanding high school seniors and college students pursuing degrees in agriculture. These scholarships reflect GSFC’s ongoing commitment to investing in the future of rural communities and supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders.
Each year, GSFC recognizes and supports students who reside within its service area, including Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties, or are children of GSFC customers. Recipients must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a strong commitment to agriculture and can receive awards ranging from $500 to $1,500 to support their education at two-year and four-year colleges.
“Our scholarship recipients are the future of agriculture,” said Rob Faris, President and CEO of Golden State Farm Credit. “By supporting their education, we’re not only investing in individual students but also in the long-term sustainability of agriculture in California.”
The scholarship program is one of many ways GSFC works to strengthen rural economies and encourage youth to pursue careers in the agricultural industry. In addition to academic scholarships, GSFC supports youth in agriculture by purchasing livestock at county fairs, offering a summer internship program, and providing interest-free youth loan opportunities for junior livestock exhibitors. These initiatives underscore the cooperative’s mission to develop future ag leaders and strengthen rural communities.
Applications for the scholarship program open annually in January. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit GSFC’s website to apply for the 2026 cycle.
For a full list of 2025 scholarship recipients, see below.
About GSFC:
Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is a lending institution of the Farm Credit System with offices in Northern and Central California that service the counties of Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Fresno, Kings and Tulare. The GSFC administrative office is located at 3013 Ceres Avenue, Chico, CA 95973. The Farm Credit System (System) is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions that provides loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agribusiness, agricultural and rural utility cooperatives, and Young, Beginning and Small Farmers nationwide. Congress established the System in 1916 to provide a reliable source of credit for the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Today, the System provides more than one-third of the credit needed by those who live and work in rural America.
For more information about Golden State Farm Credit, call (530) 895-8698 or visit us online at www.goldenstatefarmcredit.com.
Jay Lemstra, Dordt University, Agriculture Business, $1,500
Madison Stayer, UC Davis, Agriculture Education, $1,500
Ryley Vanella, Cal Poly SLO, Ag Engineering, $1,500
Ryan Huber, Cal Poly SLO, Ag Engineering, $1,000
Sarah Mendonca, Chico State, Ag Science, $1,000
Teresa Mendonca, Chico State, Agricultural Business, $1,000
Carson Pray, Cal Poly SLO, Ag Systems Management, $1,000
Emma Schneider, Lassen Community College, Agriculture Science, $1,000
Payton Burresch, Butte Community College, Mechanized Agriculture, $500
Aubree Eddy, University of Nevada, Reno, Agriculture Education, $500
Cooper Gantenbein, University of Nevada, Reno, Ag Science, $500
Hector Gomez-Torres, College of the Sequoias, Agriculture Business, $500
Anna Graham, Fresno State, Dairy Science, $500
Maliah Gutierrez, Fresno State, Animal Science, $500
Noel Jacobson, Oklahoma State University, Ag Systems Management, $500
Athena Martinez, Chico State, Animal Science – Pre-Vet, $500
Perry Phillips, Cal Poly SLO, Plant Science, $500
Adeline Scott, Cal Poly SLO, Agricultural Business, $500
Janelle Thorpe, University of Idaho, Agriculture Business: Economics, $500
Darby Kroes, Cal Poly SLO, Agricultural Business, $500
—Golden State Farm Credit
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