Owen Russell, Miley Taylor obtain Will James Scholarships
Revealed 7:30 pm Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Jaine Treadwell | The Messenger
Owen Russell of Luverne is the male recipient of the 2022 Will James Scholarship. Pictured, from left, B.B. Palmer, president of the nationwide Will James Society, Owen Russell, Amy McManigle, Zoe McManigle and Jason McManigle and Eddie Adams, Will James Society. Mike Russell, not pictured.
Native highschool graduates, Owen Russell of Luverne and Miley Taylor of Henderson, have been honored as recipients of prestigious 2022 Will James Scholarships.
The Will James Society affords two scholarships every year, one to a highschool feminine and one to a highschool male. The society’s scholarship program is designed to learn college students who’re planning a profession or career within the agricultural and farming world, horsemanship, veterinary, journalism and artwork.
“It’s a actual honor for a scholar who’s pursuing a profession in agriculture to obtain a Will James Scholarship,” mentioned B.B. Palmer, president of the Nationwide Will James Society. “Your complete society congratulates Owen Russell and Miley Taylor as recipients of those scholarship awards and with the reassurance that they’re very deserving of the Will James Scholarships.”
Palmer mentioned Will James is greatest referred to as an author-illustrator.
“Will James was some of the influential western artists and writers of his technology and made large contributions to America’s Western heritage,” Palmer mentioned. “This 12 months, 2022, the complete society congratulates Owen and Miley because the recipients of the Will James Scholarships.”
Owen Russell is a graduate of Luverne Excessive Faculty and the valedictorian of the Luverne Excessive Faculty Class of 2022. He’s enrolled at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural Faculty in Tifton, Georgia, as a crop manufacturing main.
“Agriculture has all the time been my profession selection,” Owen mentioned. “I’ve lived in Luverne all my life and I’ve all the time been round farming. I need to be concerned in agriculture and, presumably, Alabama agriculture.”
Owen’s expertise within the discipline of agriculture has primarily been with livestock and with produce together with, peas, corn, potatoes.
“My grandfather grows totally different sorts of produce to promote all through the native space,” Owen mentioned. “Being part of planting, watching the expansion after which harvesting produce is thrilling as a result of that’s how we feed our households, our nation and our world. I need to be part of all that as a scholar at Abraham Baldwin and in my profession wherever I’m led.”
Owen expressed appreciation to the Will James Society for the scholarship and the boldness positioned in him.
“I need to make them proud to have chosen me as a Will James Society Scholarship recipient,” he mentioned.
Miley Taylor is a 2022 graduate of Charles Henderson Excessive Faculty and is a scholar at Troy College.
Her plans are to earn a basic enterprise diploma with emphasis in agricultural enterprise.
“I’ve all the time been within the farm and farm life, Miley mentioned. “My ‘Pop’ had cattle and I discovered so much from him. I might relatively trip on a tractor than in a automotive. I used to be in 4-H and actually loved it and discovered so much about many issues associated to farm life and agriculture.”
Miley was in FFA and discovered to conduct conferences and the significance of contributing to discussions inside giant group conferences in addition to small group conferences.
“I discovered to consider issues which can be greater than myself and to contemplate the ideas and issues of others,” she mentioned. “I discovered how decisions made in agriculture right here have an effect on the world and the way decisions made by different international locations have an effect on our nation.”
Miley is engaged and plans a Could 2024 wedding ceremony.
“I graduated highschool early and I’m enthusiastic about my future,” she mentioned. “I do know that I might be concerned in agriculture indirectly as a result of agriculture is essential to me and to all of us. I enormously respect the Will James Scholarship and the boldness proven by awarding it to me. I’ll work exhausting to show that I’m deserving of it.”
Palmer mentioned the mission of the Will James Society is to advertise the legacy, literature and the artwork of Will James, by public occasions, fund -assisting actions, the gifting of his fantastic books to varsities, public libraries, navy models, hospitals and senior amenities all through the world in addition to present scholarships to worthy highschool graduates who search a future within the arts, literature, agriculture, ranching and veterinarian occupations.
