Scholarship Applications are due in April.  Applications are provided to each area school's counselors office and are available by email at ilcca@ilcca.org or dahlerranch@gmail.com.  The application is also available here and on our facebook page.  Good luck Seniors! 

The first 2024 ILCCA scholarship winner is Zane Uptmor of Prairie High School.  Zane is the son of Jason and Kathy Uptmor who are farmers/ranchers on the prairie. 

Zane has managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout his high school career while also being very involved  in extracurricular activities. Clubs and memberships include: FFA, knowledge bowl, varsity cross country, Mu Alpha Theta, 4-H, Track and Field, and youth rally. Throughout the numerous groups and activities listed Zane has been his 4-H club president, 4-H camp group leader, and a youth rally director. Zane’s honors and awards are numerous but to name a few, he has gotten 4-H president’s pin, top demonstration award, and judging contest high placement pin, Many top student awards in math and sciences, and University of Idaho top rural school math awards.

This fall Zane plans to attend University of Idaho and major in Agricultural Economics with the hopes of becoming an agricultural economist and advisor while also being able to come back and help on the family farm.  

As a kid, Zane could be found checking cows, riding along in the combine, and even driving the tractors. He learned quickly the ropes of being on the farm and helping out with the chores and the lifestyle. He is thankful that he was able to grow up in the lifestyle and get those skill sets at a very young age, they have shaped him into the person he is today and will become in the future. He will take those life lessons into his future career to be able to relate back to the community and people that he will be working for/with. 

Zane enjoys working at the cottonwood butte during the winters and going to basketball games. Usually he is feeding cows and sometimes shooting clays if time allows. When the weather gets better he participates in cross country and track meets and enjoys camping, swimming, riding his dirt bike, playing golf, and road trips. 

We are happy to have had Zane in the community and we look forward to seeing where life will take him and what career path he will go down. Congrats Zane, we wish you the best!  

The second 2024 ILCCA scholarship winner is Sarah Lustig of Prairie High School. Sarah is the daughter of Edward and Nancy Lustig who are farmers/ranchers in the area. 

 Sarah is very active in her high school, participating in many athletics (track & field, and basketball), as well as 4-H, business professionals of America, knowledge bowl, prairie league, math club, and On might ground youth group. She has shown her leadership skills by being 4-H secretary for one year and president for three, senior class president for 2023-2024, and the president of the Mu Alpha Theta math club. Sarah has taken home many honors and awards throughout her high school career between all of her extracurricular activities. 

 For her future, she is going to attend the University of Idaho to study engineering. She hopes to graduate with a degree that will allow her to obtain a job that she will enjoy and that will challenge her. She graduated from PHS with a GPA of as well as 37 college credits that will help her achieve her future goals. 

 Growing up she has participated in many community service activities including road-side clean ups, canned food drives, helping at the recycling center and more. During the summers she has been found working on the family farm, operating and fixing equipment, managing chores, and working cattle. Being able to work on equipment and convert to other uses around the farm is part of what has helped Sarah decide that she wants to pursue the engineering field to be able to do more of these types of projects and modifications in her career.  

We are happy to be able to help Sarah in reaching her goals, even if in a very small way. Thanks for being such a great part of the community and we look forward to seeing you grow!

The 2023 first place ILCCA scholarship winner is Allison Kinzer of Highland Senior High School.  Allison is the daughter of Tim and Nicole Kinzer who are Farmer/Ranchers, Bus driver, and Pacific cabinet employee.   

Allison is very active in her school, participating in FFA, National Honors Society, 4-H, and Track. She helps put on fundraisers, teacher appreciation week, and highway clean up as a community service project, She has served Lewis County and North Idaho 4-H ambassador. She continued to work on and improve her times and distances during each of her track meets her senior year. Through FFA she has receive multiple degrees, along with her state degree in 2021 where she was able to walk across the stage at state convention and accept her award. 

 As far as her future, Allison has a big goal to become a veterinarian. She loves animals and has the dedication to get it done. Throughout her years she has had to prove herself by working hard and showing others what she is capable of, she hopes to continue and prove to herself that she is capable of reaching her goals. She plans to come back to the area within the next 20 years to work at a vet clinic and help ensure the growth of the livestock community.  

Working on the family farm, taking care of animals, and marketing cattle are all a part of Allisons life. She fixes fence, swaths and puts away hay during the summer, feeds and waters animals during the winter months, and takes care of calves as needed. Allison also wears many other hats in the community; Babysitter, school bus washer, city of Ferdinand and Craigmont worker, and help at the Cottonwood Livestock Auction. 

We are excited to help in the little way we can with your future endeavors. Do great things Allison!

The 2023 ILCCA second place scholarship winner is Chloe Rowland of  Prairie Senior High School. Chloe is the daughter of Brent and Tara Rowland who both help run Cottonwood Livestock Auction. 

Chloe has a expansive list  of the activities she has been involved in, Just to name a few; HOSA, Prairie League, Prairie High School Knowledge bowl, PHS student government, Business Professionals of America, FFA, 4-H (National, State, District, and County Levels), and many community service efforts. Through these various organizations she has been able to hold many leadership positions from PHS senior class president to Idaho County Fair Queen. She has held all officer positions in her 4-H club and has served on multiple boards. Many of the awards and honors Chloe has received have been through 4-H but the largest honor she feels she received in high school was earning the title of Idaho County Fair Queen. She loved serving the county and the Queen.  

During her 4-H career she has taken market steers, and cow calf breeding projects for several years and feels that she has learned the importance of producing high quality beef products to feed the world. She hopes to always be an ambassador of the beef industry no matter where life takes her. 

A day in the life of Chloe depends on the time of year. In the fall and winter she is very involved with Playing on the Volleyball team and doing stats for the varsity basketball team. In the spring she started 4-H and all of the duties that she had through the organization. Throughout the year she is helping around the house, and at the sales yard while keeping up on homework and her social life. 

Chloe graduated with a GPA pf 3.93 and plans to attend Montana State University in the Fall. Her goal is to become a registered nurse who specializes in Emergency medicine or Labor and Delivery while also maintaining her involvement in the agriculture and beef industry through clubs and organizations. She hopes to be able to give back to the community and industries in a new way, not just as a young livestock producer and looks forward to caring for those who have cared for her. In the future, she has plans to move back to the Prairie and start her own family and Pure bred Charolais herd. 

Can’t wait to see where life takes you and to see that white herd of yours on the prairie one day! Congratulations!    

The 2022 first place ILCCA scholarship winner is Dani Sonnen of St. John Bosco Academy. Dani is the daughter of Norm and Julie Sonnen of Greencreek who are butcher shop owners, a rancher and a teacher. 

 Dani has a very active school life  being a member of the volleyball team, basketball team, student government (Treasurer, Secretary, and class representative), knowledge bowl and drama club during all four years of her high school education. Outside of her school participation she is also very active in her community. Dani is a three year qualifier for the Idaho County Livestock judging team, She attended STAC (State Teen Association Conference) as a delegate for two years.  She served as the Idaho County Fair Queen from 2020-2021 and as a 4-H ambassador from 2018-2020. During the last 10 years Dani has been an active member of the Greencreek Active Workers 4-H club, taking an animal project to the fair each year including; a lamb, pigs, rabbits, and steers. Last, but certainly not least she is also a lector at her local church. Even though she has a lot going on she has still managed to maintain a 3.81 GPA.

 A typical day in the life of Dani consists of feeding or working with the animals, attending sports or drama practice, and finishing her homework. She enjoys training her 4-H animals and helping her younger siblings with their animals. In her free time she likes to spend time with her family and friends, playing volleyball and basketball, dancing, riding horses, scrap booking, and painting.  

Dani’s future goals are to attend Lewis Clark State College to study Business Management with hopes to one day start a small business of her own or work in a management position for a larger company. She plans to move back to the Camas Prairie after graduation to continue the small town legacy of giving and supporting each other.  

The 2022 ILCCA second place scholarship winner is Lane Schumacher of  Prairie Senior High School. Lane is the son of Doug and Julie Schumacher of Greencreek. Doug is a farmer/rancher while Julie is a teacher. 

 Not only has Lane been a member of his school’s Basketball and football teams but he has also been the leader/captain of those teams as well. He has earned honor roll for his academics, voted homecoming king, and received the title of MVP. Outside of his school Lane is active in his local church and youth group, enhancing his religious knowledge. Lane is a member of 4-H and helps in the community when needed. 

 A normal day for Lane would be helping his father with chores on the ranch/farm. He helps feed cows, fix fence, harvest crops, pick rock, and go to the salesyard. 

 Lane is looking forward to attending Boise State University to major in Kinesiology with hopes to become a Physical Therapist . He plans to come back to the prairie to help the people around here with their physical abilities, he pictures himself being successful with a family in this area in 20 years.  

One of the two recipients for the 2021 ILCCA scholarship is Cecily Puckett of Kamiah High School. Cecily is the daughter of Andrew and Corrie Puckett who are cattle ranchers and beekeepers in the Kamiah area.  

Cecily stays very active in her high school and community all the while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She is also the 2021 class Valedictorian. Her activities include; Drama club, National Honor Society, Northern Idaho science and engineering fair, track and field, volunteering at Hearts that Heal riding school, volunteering at her church events, and many fundraising events. Cecily has been a member of her 4-H club for 5 years and has held  all of the leadership positions. 

A typical day in the life of Cecily looks like school, homework, studying, ranch work, chores, and volunteering. 

For her future goals, She will be attending Lewis & Clark State College with a major in nursing so she can help under-privileged countries through mission work. Her end game is to eventually own a ranch in the Kamiah area and share that way of life with others.  

One of the two recipients for the 2021 ILCCA scholarship is Blake Uptmor of Prairie High School. Blake is the son of Jason and Kathy Uptmor of Cottonwood who are farmers and ranchers in the area. 

Blake has held many leadership roles throughout 4-H and FFA. He has been the 4-H Treasurer(2020), Camp teen leader(2017-2018), and camp cabin leader(2019) as well as holding the FFA Vice President position from 2018-2019.  Blake also shows many animals through his 4-H projects, including; Livestock, Poultry, Breeding Rabbits, Market Swine, and Market Beef.  

In his free time Blake continues to help out on the family farm after school and in the summers. He also is currently attending an Outdoor Emergency Care class to become a ski patrol. 

Blake will be attending The University of Idaho this fall with a major in Engineering. He isn’t sure if he wants to pursue Chemical or Agricultural engineering but he enjoys math and solving problems. Blake knows that he wants to eventually end up in the Central Idaho area with a career he enjoys.  

One of the two recipients of the 2020 ILCCA scholarship is David Wassmuth of St. John Bosco Academy. David is the son of Eric and Alea Wassmuth of Greencreek.

David maintained a 4.0 all throughout his high school career earning him class Valedictorian at St. John Bosco Academy. He participated in school drama productions as well as student government, basketball and has been an alter server since the age of 10.  During his time at St. Bosco Academy, David has had many leadership roles, some of these include, captain of the basketball team, being a part of student government and leading the knowledge bowl team.

David lives with his parents and three younger siblings on their farm in Greencreek. He enjoys reading, helping on the family farm and working. Future plans for David include attending Carroll College in Helena, Montana to study Civil Engineering and moving back to the Prairie.

David’s Mom Alea was the ILCCA Cattle Call editor for seven years.  David’s Dad Eric was the ILCCA Scholarship recipient in 1997.  David’s grandpa Virgil Wassmuth was the President of ILCCA from October 1997 to October 1999 and along with his wife Donna were the Cattle Family of the Year in 2000.

The second recipient for the 2020 ILCCA scholarship is Jessie Sonnen of St. John Bosco Academy. Jessie is the daughter of Norm and Julie Sonnen of Greencreek.

As well as being Student Body President, Jessie graduated with a 3.99 GPA making her St. John Bosco’s Salutatorian. She has been an active part of her student government for the past 4 years, a 3-time Idaho County 4-H Ambassador, and has been in the Greencreek Active Workers 4-H Club since the age of 7. In 4-H, she won Top Photography Project twice and Senior Reserve Champion Swine Showman once. A few extracurricular activities Jessie has enjoyed the past 4 years include the cross-country team, basketball and volleyball team, and theater.

Jessie has helped on her family ranch since she can remember.

Jessie will be attending Benedictine College of Atchison, Kansas in the fall, and plans to major in Elementary Education. Future plans for Jessie include teaching at a school on the Prairie and possibly becoming a coach, FFA advisor or athletic director. She plans to educate future generations on where their food comes from as well as an appreciation to the hardworking farmers.

Kace Munger of Cottonwood was selected among the eligible applicants as recipient of the 2019 ILCCA Scholarship.  Kace graduated from Prairie High School in May with a GPA of 4.0 while being active in 4H for 10 years, church activities, volunteering and working to save money for college.  In 4H, Kace has earned Top Beef Judge, Grand Champion in Quality for goat, Reserve Grand Champion fitting and showing for beef steers two years in a row.  Kace has spent the majority of the time he is not in school working for his grandfather Leon Slichter haying, branding, vaccinating, or his Dad assembling and welding feeders and repairing equipment or Hal Uptmor and his son Jason feeding cattle, running equipment building fence and other ranch chores.  When Kace is not working, he loves hunting, checking his game cameras and looking for antlersin the foothills of the Salmon River.

Kace will be going to Northwest Lineman College in Meridian in the fall and hopes to move back to the area to do his apprenticeship and then get on fulltime in the area so that he can not only work in the utility industry, but also continue his family legacy of ranching.
ILCCA wishes Kace the best of luck in lineman school and beyond.

The Scholarship Committee,  made up of the past 3 presidents of ILCCA, selected Dereck Arnzen of Cottonwood as the recipient of the 2018 ILCCA Scholarship. 

Dereck graduated from Prairie High School on Friday May 25th with a 4.0 GPA as one of the class’ Valedictorians.  Dereck maintained his excellent GPA while being active in 4H, trap shooting, baseball, and football and volunteering at the food bank and cleaning ditches.  In addition, Dereck can be found daily helping at the family farm and ranch.   Dereck not only helps at the family farm and ranch, he loves doing the work.

Dereck will be attending the College of Southern Idaho and is enrolled in the Veterinary Technology program (Vet Tech). 

Vet Techs are valued paraprofessionals in the field of veterinary medicine who administer medications, monitor treatments, collect samples, conduct tests and assist veterinarians in surgery, necropsies, and ultrasounds.  

Dereck wants to work on animals of all kinds and be able to help people in this community with their animals.  He plans to return to the area when he completes his Vet Tech degree.

Selena Davila of Cottonwood was selected among the applicants as the recipient of the 2017 ILCCA Scholarship.  Selena graduated from Prairie High School on Friday May 26th with a 3.5 GPA while being active in FFA, 4-H, Youth Group and serving as the Idaho County Fair Queen.   Selena has held offices in FFA, her class and Prairie League and earned various honors and awards including Grand Quality steer, honor roll each year, and achieving various degrees within FFA including Greenhand, Chapter and State as well as Chapter Outstanding Service Award and District Ag Sales 2nd and 3rd.   Selena will be studying Pre-Veterinarian Medicine at Washington State University.  She plans to get her Veterinarian degree, travel for awhile with her work to gain new experiences with different kinds of animals, but then plans to return to our community to work with her mother, Helen Rowland, in her large animal veterinary business.  Congratulations and good luck Selena!  

The winner of the 2016 ILCCA scholarship is Talyss Lustig of Prairie High School.  Talyss is the daughter of Doug and Karen Lustig of Greencreek.

While maintaining a 4.0 GPA through high school, Talyss participated in sports including volleyball and basketball, was involved in leadership, and performed community service.  During this time, Talyss has earned numerous awards including Student of the Month, Advanced Biology Outstanding Student, Sewing Class Teacher’s Award, Top Quilter, Booster Club Award, Top Geometry Student and  Top Physical Science Student. 

Talyss was elected to Class President her Sophomore, held the ASB offices of Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, and served as the President of the Drug Free Group.

Currently, Talyss lives with her parents on a third generation farm and cattle ranch.  She enjoys helping her parents with the daily chores on the farm/ranch.  Her plan is to attend the University of Idaho to study Ag Economics with a minor in Ag Business and then return to the area to work and raise a family.  Congratulations and good luck in your endeavors Talyss! 

ILCCA received 6 applications for the scholarship this year, 4 of which were eligible (met the deadline either a parent or grandparent were paid up members).   Thank you to everyone who applied!

 

The winner of the 2015 ILCCA scholarship is Austin Sonnen of Prairie High School.  Austin is the son of Steve and Sue Sonnen of Greencreek. 

Austin has participated in sports including track and football as well as being involved in many other groups including Prairie Drug Free Group, Go Green Group, PAVE, Teens Against Tobacco Use, Tri Parish Youth Group, Angel Tree Project and the Greencreek Active Workers 4-H Club.  Austin does not simply belong to an organization, he is actively involved in these organizations.  In addition, he volunteers at the St. Anthony’s Parish Crab Feed, the 4th of July Breakfast, the Idaho County Fair as well as being actively involved in ILCCA through attending events and helping at the annual BBQ. 

Austin lives on a fourth generation farm and cattle ranch and hopes to continue the legacy of his parents and grandparents.  He is studying Auto Mechanics Technology at Lewis-Clark State College after which he intends to work closely with his Dad and eventually take over the farm with his future family.  Austin appreciates his upbringing and wants to continue his involvement with the church and the farming community.  Congratulations Austin!