Anna Minich, of Laporte, Indiana, has been named the recipient of the 2024 NSBA Foundation Scholarship. She will receive a total scholarship of $2,000 paid over the next two years.
Anna is the oldest of six children and the daughter of Lucas and Kimberly Minich, and grew up on her family’s dairy farm. A recent graduate of Laporte High School, Anna pursued a science-heavy and agriculture-based curriculum, taking every science course available in her school. She was named valedictorian of her class.
In addition to her educational pursuits, Anna was a member of National Honor Society and Student Council and president for the past two years with her FFA chapter. At the district level of FFA, Anna also served as secretary and previously held the office of reporter. Anna also received the District 1 Entrepreneurship Award for first place in Beef Production.
Anna began competing at the AQHA level in 2021. She has been an active member of various state Quarter Horse associations as well as NSBA, competing on NYATT and AQHA World Show teams. She was the 2023 Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Youth Association vice president, and has served on numerous committees in each of the youth organizations.
Anna has volunteered at Harvest Call to package foods to send to food pantries and at American Red Cross blood drives. She also teaches preschool classes at her church. One of her major service projects has been volunteering for Girls On The Run as a junior coach. The program worked with third to fifth grade girls using movement such as running and games to encourage healthy self-esteem and teach life skills, and culminated with a 5K race.
Anna will attend South Dakota State University this fall where she will major in animal science. She will also compete on the SDSU equestrian team in Horsemanship. She plans to attend veterinary school and become an equine veterinarian.
T. Joe Jeane Memorial Scholarship Winner Continues
Kaitlyn McCulley was awarded the inaugural T. Joe Jeane Memorial Scholarship in 2023, and continues into her second of three years of the award as a veterinary student this fall. The T. Joe Jeane Memorial Scholarship is a three-year scholarship awarded to an NSBA member following the completion of their first year of veterinary medicine, and distributed over the final three years of veterinary school. This scholarship pays a total of $12,000. Kaitlyn attends Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine. The next T. Joe Jeane Memorial Scholarship will be awarded in 2026.
ABOUT THE NSBA FOUNDATION
The National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation is the non-profit 501(c)3 arm of the National Snaffle Bit Association. Operating under a separate board of directors, the NSBA Foundation serves NSBA’s more than 20,000 members, the equine therapeutic community and the equine community at large through educational programming, scholarships, and financial assistance to equine professionals in crisis. The NSBA Foundation also works to keep animal welfare at the forefront of the equine industry.
The National Snaffle Bit Association’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike. In addition to its extensive membership, NSBA has more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. Annually, NSBA members earn more than $13.6 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows. The association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more, please visit nsba.com/foundation.
ABOUT THE NSBA
Established in 1983, the National Snaffle Bit Association has expanded from its roots in the Western Pleasure discipline to recognize various disciplines and eight breed associations in competition. NSBA’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike.
The National Snaffle Bit Association has more than 20,000 active members and more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. NSBA members earn more than $13.5 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows annually, and the association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more about the NSBA, please visit nsba.com.
National Snaffle Bit Association, Inc. – 120 Mesa St., Weatherford, TX 76086 - Phone: (847)-623-6722
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