Ten students pursuing careers in the beef industry were awarded $1,500 scholarships by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) and recognized during CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, TN. The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship program recognizes talented and thoughtful students emerging as industry leaders.
The 2026 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship recipients are:
• Grant Boyd of Leon, IA, Iowa State University (ISU).
• Shay Burian of Manning, ND, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.
• Natalie Dietrich of Lubbock, TX, Texas Tech University.
• John Garcia of Baker City, OR, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
• Olivia Hadrick of Faulkton, SD, South Dakota State University.
• William Kemp of Bishop, CA, school to be determined.
• Luke McCrea of Maysville, MO, ISU.
• Gavin Rhode of Stewartsville, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Nathan Rippe of Indianola, Nebraska, UNL.
• Emma Whitlock of Milan, MO, Kansas State University.
“It is exciting to see so many students pursuing careers in the beef industry,” said NCF Chair Dave True. “We are grateful to our partners at CME Group for making this scholarship program possible.”
Introduced in 1989 and sponsored by CME Group, the scholarship identifies and encourages talented students who play a vital role in the future of food production. Students studying education, communication, production, research or other areas related to the beef industry are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship program.
NCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was first organized in 1972. It provides charitable, scientific and educational activities to benefit the cattle industry. For more information, visit nationalcattlemensfoundation.org. — NCBA
