SALISBURY, Md. (Wednesday, July 17, 2024)— Perdue Farms, through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 15 children of Perdue associates and independent contract poultry farmers. The scholarships are part of the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.

Campbell Shay, son of Donald and Shana Shay of Temperanceville, Virginia, one of 15 students to receive scholarships, will study political science at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. He plans to become a Marine Corps officer in the Judge Advocate Division.

“Thank you for offering me this scholarship. I will be a member of (Virginia Tech’s) Corps of Cadets (Marine Option),” said Shay, whose father, Donald, is fleet warranty manager with Perdue in Salisbury, Maryland. “I am excited to see where this next journey takes me, and I will be sure to make the Perdue organization proud.”

Perdue Farms has awarded scholarships to children of its associates and independent farm family partners annually since 1983.

Other students who received a Perdue Scholarship are:

• Ryan Farrow, son of John Farrow of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, will pursue a degree in education at Hagerstown Community College in Maryland before transferring to Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.
• Alexander Guinn, son of Mark and Jennifer Guinn of Loogootee, Indiana, will pursue a degree in both business and theology at the University of Notre Dame.
• Peyton Hamdan, son of Joe Hamdan and Sara Norfolk of Washington, Indiana, will pursue a degree in aerospace aeronautical at Purdue University, Purdue Polytechnic Lafayette in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Christopher Howard, son of Christopher Howard of Salisbury, Maryland, will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Thomas “Rad” Kennedy, son of Thomas and Joy Kennedy of Rockingham, North Carolina, will pursue a degree in public policy/business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Kayden Knepp, son of Keith and Stephanie Knepp of Washington, Indiana, will pursue a degree in finance at University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana.
• Payton Lee, son of Jim and Jennie Lee of Ellerbe, North Carolina, will pursue a degree in IT programming at Richmond Community College in Hamlet, North Carolina.
• Aarna Lulla, daughter of Vijay and Komal Lulla of Salisbury, Maryland, will pursue a degree in public health science at University of Maryland, College Park.
• Caroline Moore, daughter of Jess and Kristen Moore of Fruitland, Maryland, will pursue a degree in environmental sciences at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Madilyn Nechay, daughter of Frank and Kim Nechay of Hebron, Maryland, will pursue a degree in political science at College of Charleston in South Carolina.
• Adrieliz Marie Rodriguez-Gonzalez, daughter of Eric Rodriguez-Hernandez and Eva M. Gonzalez-Vega of Laurel Hill, North Carolina, will pursue a degree in zoology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, North Carolina.
• Robert Schmick, son of Roger and Ann Schmick of Preston, Maryland, will pursue a degree in accounting at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado.
• Connor Simmons, son of Matthew and Angela Simmons of Lafayette, Indiana, will pursue a degree in business at Purdue University, Main Campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Abbigale Weeks, daughter of Karen Weeks, of Berlin, Maryland, will pursue a degree in visual and performing arts at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Massachusetts.

About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture®.

About Perdue Farms
We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services. The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.

Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.

Now in our company’s second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.