The Chatham County Livestock Association has awarded the John Henry Tripp Scholarship to two Pittsboro natives, Bailey Jones and Victoria Smith. This memorial endowment is dedicated to the memory of long-time association member, John Henry Tripp, who passed away in 2011. John Henry was not only a livestock producer, but also a Chatham County Deputy Sheriff until his first retirement. Following that career, John Henry worked overseeing the operation of the Chatham County Waste Management Convenience Centers. With his outgoing personality and off-farm careers, he was able to associate with many friends over the whole county and beyond. When the association voted to begin building funds to support educational programs, John Henry was the driving force in raising money. The association sold raffle tickets to fund this program and it is estimated that John Henry sold at least 75% of all the raffle tickets sold to fund this endowment. Applicants must be pursuing a degree in agriculture or agribusiness to be eligible.
Bailey Jones is currently a sophomore at NC State University and grew up in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She is attending NC State in hopes of pursuing a career in food animal veterinary medicine. Bailey is completing an internship on a beef cattle ranch in Nebraska where she is learning about beef production in another part of the country. She is greatly enjoying her time in Nebraska, but is excited to return to NC State to continue her journey this fall.
Victoria Smith grew up in Pittsboro and this is where she runs her own little hobby farm with various types of animals. At a young age, Victoria started participating in various 4-H and FFA events. Through these experiences, she quickly became in love with agriculture, but specifically caring for livestock. She is very excited to begin her journey at NC State this fall studying animal science. She hopes to continue her education in veterinary school and become a large animal veterinarian.
We are very proud of both of these individuals and can't wait to see where their next steps take them.
