MAGIC VALLEY — Reina Elkin grew up on a farm in Buhl. She says seeing her family members involved in the agriculture industry inspired her to want to do the same.
“I just have a love for it, and I could see all the opportunity that comes with Agriculture, especially since I am a woman and there’s a lot of opportunity with women in Agriculture now," Elkin said.
Elkin was one of four University of Idaho students selected as part of Chobani's scholars, a program Chobani created in 2018 to award scholarships to students with family connections to the dairy industry and who intend to pursue a career in the agriculture industry.
“When I got that email saying congratulations, I was just like what? I was just so surprised. A lot of my scholarships I was just kind of like oh this is a little bit about me, this is a little bit about me, but for this one, my mom helped me a little bit, and she was like, Reina, I think you should put in a little bit more effort into this one," Elkin.
Elkin's passion for the agriculture industry started at a young age. She says seeing women involved in the industry is what made her want to pursue a career in pre-veterinary science.
“We always had to call a vet and it was always a girl. So I saw that, and my dad owns a farm, and there were a lot of women helping out on the farm also,” Elkin said.
Elkin says this $20,000 grant will help her achieve her goal of becoming an animal surgeon.
“Just helping me get through my first few years is going to be a major major help. Just get me through with those textbooks and the classes and everything. It’s going to be so helpful," Elkin said.
