Two local high school students are among 15 who will receive full-tuition Des Moines Area Community College (DSMACC) scholarships named in honor of a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster. Karter John Kennebeck of Glidden and Tyler Tessman of Audubon will be able to apply the Mark Pearson FFA Leadership Scholarships in the fall of 2021 to any of the nearly 200 degree programs offered through DMACC’s 12 campuses and learning centers. “Some of the greatest leaders in Iowa have an FFA background,” says DMACC President, Rob Denson. “DMACC is proud to play a role in helping the next generation of leaders prepare themselves for their careers and we are honored to name it after Mark Pearson.” Any graduating senior who served as president of their FFA chapters in Iowa during their junior or senior year were eligible to apply. They must have maintained a high school GPA of at least 2.0 and included a 500- to 1,200-word essay with their application that described their FFA leadership experiences, activities, accomplishments and career goals. They also needed to provide letters of recommendation. These students must also enroll full-time in an AA, AS or AAS degree program at any DMACC campus or learning center, maintain a 2.5 GPA and in enroll in the Leadership in Agriculture course. Since its inception in 2016, the program has distributed more than $1.3 million to a total of 323 students. Mark Pearson, who died in 2012, hosted Iowa Public Television’s “Market to Market” for more than 20 years and was the host of WHO Radio’s “The Big Show.” The Madison County farmer also served as an Assistant Secretary to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and was the Markets Editor for Successful Farming Magazine.
