The American Kennel Club recently announced the winners of its Junior Scholarship Program for the 2000-2001 school year. In speaking about the program, Patricia Laurans, who has been very active in the scholarship program since its inception in 1996, told the delegates at their Annual Meeting that this year's pool of 62 applicants was exceptional. The Scholarship committee divided the alotted $30,400 in scholarship monies among 43 young adults. These young people had an average Grade Point of 3.7 and have been extremely active in the dog world with some being 2rd or 3rd generation fanciers. As a group, they have completed 25 conformation championships, 22 obedience titles, 15 agility titles, 6 field titles, 1 herding title and 11 Canine Good Citizen awards. 3 were Best Junior at Westminster, 4 placed in the Westminster Junior Final, 2 won the Junior Competition at Crufts, and 1 won the Junior Competition at a World Show.
"Most importantly they recognize and verbalize how important it is to be or become responsible purebred dog breeders," Ms. Laurans told the delegates. "They have been involved with programs in their communities that represent the attributes of our dogs and the important of responsible dog ownership. These young people are the hope for the future of our sport."
Ms. Laurans has asked AKC's Board to increase its Juniors Scholarship funding noting that"... monies devoted to this program will be spent on these goodwill ambassadors for our sport for the future, who will contribute positively to the future of our sport, purebred dogs and the American Kennel Club," she concluded.
Junior Scholarships were granted to the following individuals:
| Adrian Agard | HI |
| Kathy Caton | OH |
| Rindi Gaudet | FL |
| Kassandra Hamaker | MI |
| Holly Niece | AZ |
| Carol Rappaport-Fish | NE |
| Manuel Rodriquez | PR |
| Jessica Sedivy | MN |
| Carley Simpson | WA |
| Erin Teplesky | NY |
| Carissa Boettcher | WI |
| Casandra Clark | CA |
| Wyatt Delfino | CA |
| Erica Delsman | OR |
| Brooke Folley | KY |
| Alessandra Folz | CT |
| Rebecca Helmke | NY |
| Krista Hunt | MN |
| Meghann Lord | WI |
| Victoria Olson | AK |
| Julie Ross | MI |
| Karyn Ryan | MA |
| Christopher Ryan | MA |
| Kimberly Vagt | MI |
| Lindsay Balder | MI |
| Susan Jacob | CT |
| Angela Lloyd | MD |
| Dina Raichel | CO |
| Nicholas Urbanek | PA |
| Rashelle Brown | CA |
| Lashauna Buford | MI |
| Mary Lynn Butcher | OH |
| Deirdre Dunbar | NY |
| Nicole Glover | CO |
| Rebecca Howard | LA |
| Joanna Jacobson | WI |
| Kelsey Moore | NY |
| Jessica Plourde | CT |
| Marie Sajewicz | MI |
| Sarah Hill | TX |
| Meghen Riese | GA |
| Kristy Siefkin | CA |
| Danielle Zezulinski | NJ |
