Riley Sorrell Receives 2021-2022 Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship

Riley Sorrell Receives 2021-2022 Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship
 



November 8, 2021 (MANHATTAN, Kan.) – Riley Sorrell of Edna, Kansas, a junior majoring in agriculture education at Kansas State University, has been awarded the Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship through the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University.
 
Riley grew up in the cooperative lifestyle as his dad is the general manager of Bartlett Cooperative. Riley has worked for the co-op since 2017 and also works on the family farm. He is a member of the Agriculture Education Club and serves as a volunteer firefighter. Upon graduation Riley plans to work in education as an ag teacher and FFA advisor. Eventually he hopes to own a ranch and possibly pursue a career as a cooperative manager.  The Sorrell family is affiliated with the following cooperatives: Bartlett Cooperative Association and Twin Valley Electric Cooperative.
 
The Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship has awarded $103,000 in scholarships since its establishment in 2005. Otis and Mary Lee Molz have been contributing to cooperative organizations, education and development for many years and are respected leaders in the co-op community.  
 
“The scholarship was established to honor and perpetuate the memory of the contribution of Otis and Mary Lee Molz and to encourage an interest in the formation, operation, management, leadership and economics of and participation in all types of cooperatives, including agricultural, financial, electric, telephone, housing and consumer cooperatives,” states Professor Brian Briggeman, director of the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center. “It’s also to provide significant financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in educational programs emphasizing these areas of study.”
 
To be eligible for the Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship, a student must be either a junior or senior in K-State’s College of Agriculture at the time the scholarship is received and be affiliated as a member or as a child or dependent of a member of a Kansas agricultural marketing, supply or service cooperative that is a member of the Kansas Cooperative Council. Continuing K-State students are encouraged to fill out the K-State scholarship application by March 15^th to be included in the university scholarship process for the 2022-2023 academic year.
 
The Otis and Mary Lee Molz Cooperative Scholarship is funded by contributions made to the KSU Foundation. Contributions have been made by Otis and Mary Lee Molz, their family and friends in the cooperative community. “Additional contributions by those who want to honor Otis and Mary Lee Molz and support the purposes of the scholarship are welcome,” Dr. Briggeman said. They should be made payable to “KSU Foundation/Molz” and sent to the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center, Kansas State University, Department of Agricultural Economics, 305 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506.
 
About the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center
The Arthur Capper Cooperative Center provides research-based information, education, and assistance to people with an interest in cooperative businesses, including cooperative members, directors, managers, and employees. The Center also works with students and faculty at educational institutions, the general public, and public officials as well as owners, directors, managers, and employees of agribusinesses. Further information can be obtained about this scholarship or about establishing additional scholarships by emailing Brian Briggeman at bbrigg@ksu.edu or visiting the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center website at http://accc.k-state.edu/.
 
   
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. More information is available at www.ksre.ksu.edu.
 
Story by: Arthur Capper Cooperative Center
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University
K-State Research & Extension
 
Photo caption: Dr. Brian Briggeman, ACCC Director and KSU AGEC Professor, and Riley Sorrell at the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics Awards Banquet, September 17, 2021.