
Imperial County Farm Bureau
Scholarships
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Each year, the Imperial County Farm Bureau presents local students with scholarships to aid them in their studies. The scholarship fund is supported by donations and our annual Farm Bureau Scholarship Barbecue, held annually in April.
We were very excited to be able to award $60,500 in scholarships in 2022 to 40 local students! We sincerely appreciate all those who supported by donating to our scholarship program in response to the cancelation of our Annual Scholarship Barbecue as well as those who have donated toward the Jack & Pauline McConnell Memorial, Vern Highley Memorial, Matt LaBrucherie Memorial, Raul Rodriguez Memorial, Al Kalin Memorial , and Jack Strobel Memorial Scholarships. These are the people who make these scholarships possible.
If you are interested in making a donation to any of the scholarship funds, contact our office, mail a check to Imperial County Farm Bureau, or donate with the link below. Please be sure to include a note on or with your payment to let us know which memorial scholarship fund you would like to contribute to. Donations will go directly into scholarships for local students.
Imperial County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Imperial County Farm Bureau scholarships are open to Imperial County students
who will be enrolled in college full-time pursuing an agriculture-related career.
Matthew LaBrucherie
Memorial Scholarship
Matthew LaBrucherie lived the American Dream and spent his life helping others do the same. The son of French immigrants, Mr. LaBrucherie attended Imperial Valley College, Oregon State University and St. Mary's College, where he earned a degree in business administration before returning to Imperial Valley to farm. He was a founder of McCabe Cattle Company, and personally built many of the corrals by hand, which are still in use today. He worked with partners to create El Toro Land & Cattle, El Toro Grain and El Toro Export. These businesses, along with his extensive investment of time, energy and perseverance in giving back to his community contributed immeasurably to advancing the agricultural economy of the Imperial Valley.
Raul Rodriguez
Memorial Scholarship
Raul Rodriguez, former Farm Bureau board member, spent his life helping others, always ready to offer his time or resources to a good cause. A Brawley native, Raul grew up working on his father's ranch. He attended Cal Poly Pomona where he earned a degree in crop science before returning to the Valley to begin his own farming operation with his brother. In addition to serving as board member at Farm Bureau, Raul also served on the IID's Water Conservation Advisory Board as well as the USDA Farm Service Administration's County Advisory Committee.
Jack & Pauline McConnell
Memorial Scholarship
Prior to their untimely deaths in June 2012, Jack & Pauline McConnell were strong advocates for agriculture education. Jack served on the Farm Bureau scholarship committee for as long as it existed, and outside of Farm Bureau the pair shared their rich knowledge with many local and even international students of all ages.
It is fitting, then, that their legacy will continue in a Jack & Pauline McConnell Memorial Scholarship fund, which has been established by Imperial County Farm Bureau in the McConnells' memory.
Jack had served as a Farm Bureau board member continuously since the 1950s, while Pauline was extremely active in Farm Bureau Women as well as serving on the Farm Bureau Board of Directors, among many other activities in service to our community and agriculture industry.
Vern Highley
Memorial Scholarship
Vern Highley was a graduate of Holtville High School and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Mr. Highley used his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts Journalism to promote agriculture through his extensive marketing and lobbying efforts. His federal relations firm represented Cotton Growers Warehouse Association, Imperial Valley Conservation Research Center and Imperial County among others.
He got his start in agriculture marketing when he served on the executive staff of Calcot. Over the years, he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Agriculture, Director of the USDA for the Western States and Pacific Trust Territories and Executive Director of Farmers and Ranchers for the Presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, before starting his own firm, Highley Associates.
Mr. Highley passed away on January 17, 2006 due to complications from cancer. His friends and family raised money to create a scholarship fund in his memory to help Imperial Valley students who continue their education to become strong members of a vibrant agricultural community.
Al Kalin
Memorial Scholarship
Al Kalin was an incredible storyteller, but the story of his own life is the best one of all. His family managed a feedlot, a 3000-acre farm, and the Planters Hotel. His mother eventually purchased eighty acres on the edge of the Salton Sea; this was Al’s favorite childhood haunt where he spent countless days hunting, fishing and beachcombing. Al had many people and experiences in his early years that helped influence and nurture his love for the great outdoors, his respect for nature, and his vast knowledge of many aspects of agriculture and life in the Imperial Valley that would grow to expertise levels throughout his life.
Al, along with his brother Carson, started Kalin Farms in high school. Upon his return to Imperial Valley after college and his service in the military, he helped manage the farm. They grew 2,500 acres of wheat, alfalfa, carrots, dry onions, and sugar beets.
In addition to farming, family, fishing, and fun, Al dedicated much of his time to serving his community including Westmorland Community 4-H leader, a Trustee for the Westmorland Union Elementary School District, and a Director on the Imperial County Farm Bureau board. As a farmer, environmentalist, and foremost expert on the Salton Sea, he served on countless advisory committees tackling issues such as water conservation, restoration of the Salton Sea, water quality, and others. Al was also the recipient of several prestigious awards.
As remarkable as Al was, it was his gentle spirit, quiet nature, willingness to help and teach others, and his down to earth personality that made him a dear friend to people of all walks of life. The Al Kalin Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who mirrors many of Mr. Kalin’s characteristics including his love of farming and vast knowledge and care for our environment.
Jack Strobel
Memorial Scholarship
Jack Strobel’s early years were spent farming with his father. In the 1960’s, he developed 320 acres of raw desert into farmland as one of the last desert entries to be approved in the Valley by the Department of Interior.
In the late 70’s Jack became a real estate broker and opened his own office “Jack Strobel Ranch Realty” in El Centro. Because of his farming knowledge, honesty and trustworthiness, he never had to advertise his business.
For over 20 years he supported the California Midwinter fair Junior Livestock auction and 4-H swine program. He was so proud of these youth that he saved every letter, photograph and thank you note he ever received.
Jack was always willing to go out of his way to extend a helping hand to a friend. So many farmers and others in the Valley can share a time when he helped them out of a dire situation. His door was always open and he took great pleasure in knowing that he had a part in helping someone succeed.
2021 Scholarship Awardees
Imperial County Farm Bureau Scholarship
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Boise State University
Cuesta Community College
Imperial Valley College
New Mexico State University
University of Arizona
Imperial Valley College
UC San Diego
UC Davis
Oklahoma State University
Texas A & M
UC Monterey Bay
University of Arizona
UC Santa Barbara
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Imperial Valley College
UC Davis
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Oklahoma State University
UC Irvine
New Mexico State University
UC San Diego
University of Arizona
New Mexico State University
Louisiana State University
Harvard University
Colorado State University
UC Davis
Andrew Angulo
Blake Ayala
Daniela Bastidas
Donald Benedict
John Cummings
Kevin Deol
Karen Gonzalez
Joseph Guler
Jossie Hernandez
Abigail Hester
Seth Hilfiker
Isaac Islas
Payton Iten
Lindsay Lemert
Gavin Macias
Stephanie Martinez
Ashley Meza
Madison Mills
Philip Minnick
Kayla Nunez
Charles Peraza
Montserrat Perez
Rylee Presley
Haylee Ray
Dillon Sanchez
Kendall Shields
Alyssa Singh
Nathalia Vasquez
Jack & Pauline McConnell Memorial Scholarship
Imperial Valley College
Vanguard University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
UC San Diego
Donald Benedict
Rachel Chambers
Sarah Grizzle
Joseph Guler
UC Davis
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
University of Arizona
Vanguard University
New Mexico State University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Oklahoma State University
UC Davis
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Glendale Community College
UC Davis
University of Arizona
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Kimberly Aguirre
Andrew Angulo
Alex Calero
Rachel Chambers
John Cummings
Sarah Grizzle
Wyatt Hensley
Jossie Hernandez
Gavin Macias
Danitza Pacheco
Keeley Poloni
Julissa Reyes
Arianna Venegas
Matthew LaBrucherie Memorial Scholarship
Vern Highley Memorial Scholarship
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly Pomona
Madison Mills
Melissa Matinez-Mejia
Raul Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship
Boise State University
Cal Poly Pomona
New Mexico State University
UC San Diego
UC Davis
Colorado State University
Harvard University
Purdue
Blake Ayala
Mellissa Martinez-Mejia
Charles Peraza
Montserrat Perez
Keeley Poloni
Alyssa Singh
Kendall Shields
Jacob Zendejas
Jack Strobel Memorial Scholarship
UC Davis
Boise State University
Imperial Valley College
UC Santa Barbara
UC Davis
UC Irvine
University of Arizona
UC Davis
Kimberly Aguirre
Blake Ayala
Donald Benedict
Lindsay Lemert
Keeley Poloni
Kayla Nunez
Elijah Ramos
Nathalia Vazquez
Al Kalin Memorial Scholarship
Kevin Deol
Isaac Islas
Madison Mills
Keeley Poloni
Haylee Ray
Alyssa Singh
University of Arizona
CSU Monterey Bay
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
UC Davis
New Mexico State University
Colorado State University