Perdue Farms, through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 15 children of Perdue associates and independent contract poultry farmers. The scholarships are part of the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.

Campbell Shay, son of Donald and Shana Shay of Temperanceville, Va., and one of 15 students to receive scholarships, will study political science at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. He plans to become a Marine Corps officer in the Judge Advocate Division.

“Thank you for offering me this scholarship. I will be a member of (Virginia Tech’s) Corps of Cadets (Marine Option),” said Campbell, whose father, Donald, is fleet warranty manager with Perdue in Salisbury, Md. “I am excited to see where this next journey takes me, and I will be sure to make the Perdue organization proud.”

Perdue Farms has awarded scholarships to children of its associates and independent farm family partners annually since 1983.

Other students who received a Perdue Scholarship:

  • Ryan Farrow, son of John Farrow of Greencastle, Pa., will pursue a degree in education at Hagerstown Community College in Maryland before transferring to Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.
  • Alexander Guinn, son of Mark and Jennifer Guinn of Loogootee, Ind., will pursue a degree in both business and theology at the University of Notre Dame.
  • Peyton Hamdan, son of Joe Hamdan and Sara Norfolk of Washington, Ind., will pursue a degree in aerospace aeronautical at Purdue University, Purdue Polytechnic Lafayette in West Lafayette, Ind.
  • Christopher Howard, son of Christopher Howard of Salisbury, Md., will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va.
  • Thomas “Rad” Kennedy, son of Thomas and Joy Kennedy of Rockingham, N.C., will pursue a degree in public policy/business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Kayden Knepp, son of Keith and Stephanie Knepp of Washington, Ind., will pursue a degree in finance at University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Ind.
  • Payton Lee, son of Jim and Jennie Lee of Ellerbe, N.C., will pursue a degree in IT programming at Richmond Community College in Hamlet, N.C.
  • Aarna Lulla, daughter of Vijay and Komal Lulla of Salisbury, Md., will pursue a degree in public health science at University of Maryland, College Park.
  • Caroline Moore, daughter of Jess and Kristen Moore of Fruitland, Md., will pursue a degree in environmental sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C.
  • Madilyn Nechay, daughter of Frank and Kim Nechay of Hebron, Md., will pursue a degree in political science at College of Charleston in South Carolina.
  • Adrieliz Marie Rodriguez-Gonzalez, daughter of Eric Rodriguez-Hernandez and Eva M. Gonzalez-Vega of Laurel Hill, N.C., will pursue a degree in zoology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, N.C.
  • Robert Schmick, son of Roger and Ann Schmick of Preston, Md., will pursue a degree in accounting at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo.
  • Connor Simmons, son of Matthew and Angela Simmons of Lafayette, Ind., will pursue a degree in business at Purdue University, Main Campus in West Lafayette, Ind.
  • Abbigale Weeks, daughter of Karen Weeks, of Berlin, Md., will pursue a degree in visual and performing arts at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Massachusetts.

Source: Perdue Farms