During the 2024 Ag Media Summit (AMS), which was held on Aug. 3–6 in Kansas City, Missouri, four students currently studying agricultural communications were honored for their excellence, professionalism and leadership. The Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Student Award Program, sponsored by Alltech, provides travel scholarships for four students to attend AMS.
“Alltech is proud to support the next generation of agricultural communicators as the ambassadors and voice of our industry,” said Jenn Norrie, Alltech’s communications manager for North America and Europe. “These young leaders are playing an instrumental role in sharing stories of farmers and ranchers and are helping to educate the urban population on where and by whom their food is produced.”
The finalists for this year’s Forrest Bassford Student Award, presented by the LPC, included:
- Allie Herring, Texas Tech University
- Ryan Hess, Texas Tech University
- Hannah Hudgens, Texas Tech University
- Breanna Selsor, Iowa State University
Following a competitive application and interview process, the award was presented to Herring, a senior studying agricultural communications and agri-business at Texas Tech.
“I am incredibly proud to represent Texas Tech here at Ag Media Summit and am very grateful to my professors for encouraging me to apply — but I am even prouder to continue Forrest Bassford’s legacy of excellence in agricultural communications,” Herring said.
Among her many other accomplishments, Herring has completed a spring internship in Washington, D.C., with the House Committee on Agriculture. She has also worked as a communications intern with the lobbying firm Combest, Sell & Associates and as a student assistant in the external relations department of the Texas Tech University Libraries.
The Forrest Bassford Student Award was established in 1992 to honor Bassford’s contributions to the Livestock Publications Council and his passion for supporting young people in the field of agricultural communications. To learn more about this award and its previous recipients, click here.