Jolly
                                 Courtesy Photo

Jolly

Courtesy Photo

As a 2021 Midway High School graduate, Emma Jolly, was recently awarded the North Carolina Farm Bureau’s R. Flake Shaw Scholarship for her upcoming first year at NC State University.

“I am very thankful to be awarded this scholarship because it helps my family and my parents out for me to go to college to pursue my dream career,” Jolly said.

Jolly is a member of the Farm Bureau right here in Sampson County and as a member this scholarship is highest academic achievement the organization awards. Receiving it was a shock even to Jolly.

“I was surprised a little bit just because of the fact that the Farm Bureau is so big, I don’t even know how many people applied for it,” Jolly said.

With her soon to be gracing Wolfpack territory, Jolly hopes to peruse a degree in Horticultural Science. An agricultural goal that helped her earn the NCFB’s scholarship and a field of study that always held her interest.

“I always been into the field of agriculture and I want to pursue a career in breeding plants,” Jolly said. “So that way agriculture can broaden it’s spectrum and have new plants and new varities so that we can keep growing.”

As for where and when her love for agriculture, that’s pushed her to this point, comes from it started with family.

“Well my dad is my agriculture teacher and I’ve been on many trips with the FFA throughout my whole life,” Jolly replied. “But my dad, he’s the one that sparked my love for it.”

That love has grown and blossomed to a point that the Farm Bureau recognized enough to reward Jolly this prestigious scholarship. The R. Flake Shaw Scholarship provides, in most cases, a renewable scholarship of $4,000 per year to eight university or four year college Ag students.

As well as a $1,000 per year renewable scholarship to four future community college students. While the money hasn’t always gone to an upcoming Ag student. The Farm Bureau has been awarding this scholarship every year since it’s founding in 1967 which has equaled to more than $3 million in monies awarded.

“I want to thank NC Farm Bureau number one, then my family for pushing me throughout my high school and to fill out scholarships and my friends for supporting me,” Jolly said humbly.

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-592-8137, ext. 2588. Follow us on Twitter @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.