Kyle Benthem of McBain, was chosen as the 2015-16 recipient of the Russel Erickson Scholarship from the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation, Inc. The $5,000 scholarship is named after Russel Erickson, Michigan State University (MSU) professor emeritus in the Department of Animal Science, and is awarded to a student whose career aspirations include working on or with dairy farms.

McBain resident is awarded $5,000 scholarship

Benthem, the son of Bruce and Karen Benthem, is a senior majoring in agribusiness management and on schedule to graduate in May. He received the scholarship based on his academic achievements, involvement in extracurricular activities and interest in pursuing a career related to dairy cattle breeding or production.

At MSU, Benthem is involved in intramural athletics and has been on the Dean’s List. He has been helping with the MSU women’s basketball team since fall 2015. Upon graduating from MSU, Benthem plans to return to his family’s dairy farm, Benthem Brothers Dairy.

Prior to attending MSU, Benthem studied business at Alma College for two years and competed on the university’s men’s varsity basketball team. He also completed a missions project to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as a high school junior.

The Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation awarded $95,000 in scholarships to 33 MSU students pursuing dairy industry-related programs of study for the 2015-2016 academic year.

For information on making contributions to honor members of the dairy industry or to support student scholarships, please contact the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources External Relations at 517-355-0284. To learn more about the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation, contact Dr. Miriam Weber Nielsen in the MSU Department of Animal Science at 517-432-5443.