Libby Swatling '24 describes herself as "cow-obsessed" since age 2,
when she was first introduced to a Jersey cow on a dairy farm in Saratoga
County, New York.
Now majoring in animal science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
(CALS), Swatling aspires to be in dairy management and help improve public
understanding of the industry's sustainable and humane practices.
Swatling is one of four undergraduates who each received $20,000 scholarships
this past year through the Chobani Scholars Program, to help them achieve their
dairy career ambitions across four years of study.
Established at Cornell in 2018, the program provides a multi-year scholarship
supporting students who have a family connection to dairy farming and plan to
pursue their own careers in the dairy industry.
New York state students in CALS' Department of Animal Science, with a
concentration in dairy management, are eligible for the scholarship. The
program is now offering similar scholarships at the University of Idaho;
Chobani opened a yogurt plant, the world's largest, in Twin Falls, Idaho, in
2012.
Much like last year's cohort, Cornell's second class of Chobani Scholars all
said being involved in the dairy industry from a young age fueled their passion
for it.
"I would not be who I am today if I had not grown up around the dairy
industry," said Meghan Van Althuis '23, "and it is important to me
that I continue to work in this industry, as it has inspired me greatly."
All four students also expressed a desire to improve public awareness and
understanding around animal well-being and sustainable dairy practices.
"Dairy farmers are here to serve the public and want to provide everyone
with the best possible products," said Rachel Van Buren '24. "I hear
so many of my peers criticize the dairy industry for the way they treat the
land and their animals. There is a growing gap between consumers and dairy
farmers, which is frightening. In the last decade, the dairy industry has taken
drastic strides to become more environmentally conscious, and it continues to
do so."
Said scholar Lucas Walley '24: "The industry needs more involvement from
younger, progressive dairy people who will push agriculture to meet the needs
of future consumers and industry demands, while innovating operations and
practices to create breakthroughs in production."
With deep ties to the New York state dairy industry, Chobani aims to strengthen
local communities and invest in the future of dairy farmers.
"The future of dairy matters to us and one of the best ways to help New
York farmers is to equip tomorrow's dairy leaders with the tools they need to
thrive," said Peter McGuinness, Chobani president and chief operating
officer. "The Chobani Scholars program is one way that Chobani is investing
in the future of dairy in our home state."
In addition to the scholarship program, the students will have the opportunity
to intern with Chobani, based in New Berlin, New York, during their college
careers. The organization plans to support a third cohort at Cornell this fall.
"As the nation's fourth-largest dairy producer, New York state relies
greatly on our future generations of dairy leaders to innovate and bolster the
industry, said Benjamin Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS. "We're grateful
to Chobani for its continued support of our students and our New York state
farm families. These scholarships help empower our great minds of tomorrow with
a truly life-changing education, today."
Chobani also awards $200,000 annually in grants through its Community Impact
Fund to expand economic opportunity and entrepreneurship in central New York,
including just over $63,000 in 2020 to Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango
County and the surrounding region to help make farms more profitable and
sustainable.