The National FFA Organization awarded a $5,000 BNSF Railway Company scholarship to Robert Geesman of Alden-Conger High School FFA. BNSF Railway Company, as a special project of the National FFA Foundation, sponsors the scholarship. Robert plans to use the funds to pursue a degree at South Dakota State University in Brookings.

This scholarship is one of 1,641 awarded through the National FFA Scholarship Program this year. Currently, 133 corporate sponsors generously contribute more than $2.2 million to support this program. This is the 24th year that scholarships have been made available through the National FFA Foundation by business and industry sponsors to reward and encourage excellence and enable students to pursue their educational goals.

Scholarship recipients were selected from 8,420 applicants from across the country. Selections were based on the applicant’s academic record, FFA and other school and community activities, supervised agricultural experience program in agricultural education and future goals.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 500,823 student members — all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture — as part of 7,358 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.