The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has selected Jessica Jurcek, a sophomore in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) majoring in Environmental Sciences Policy and Management and Journalism, to receive an Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship. The Hollings Scholarships award 110 college sophomores up to $9,500 a year for their junior and senior years and a paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer in between.
Jurcek grew up on a family farm near Hebron, Wis., where her parents and grandparents practiced environmentally sensitive and stewardship-minded agriculture. Elected to the National Youth Advisory Council of the Farmers Union, she represented the interests of young farmers in organizational planning and gained experience as an advocate for agricultural policy. She has continued this work at the University of Minnesota, where she became a Policy Engagement Fellow in CFANS, which has given her additional opportunities to meet with elected officials, agency leaders and policy advocates. Jurcek is particularly concerned about water resources and sustainable agricultural water use. In addition to her majors, she is completing a minor in water science and plans to continue her studies with a graduate degree in environmental law and policy.
- Categories:
- Agriculture and Environment
