Area teen earns state 4-H scholarship at State Fair

A Dodge County teenager has ended his 4-H year on a high note by picking up a major scholarship through the 4-H program.
Carter Espinoza of Kasson has been awarded a $1,000 4-H Auction Scholarship through the Minnesota 4-H Auction Committee. He received the scholarship during the Minnesota State Fair Saturday night. 
The 4-H Auction Committee gave out $65,000 this year to 4-H members going on to further their education. Almost $400,000 has been awarded since the program began in 1995 with a single $500 scholarship. 
Espinoza, a graduate of Kasson-Mantorville High School, is currently attending South Dakota State University in Brookings where he is majoring in dairy production. He plans to use the scholarship money to help pay for college.
“I was very surprised to get the scholarship,” Espinoza said moments after receiving the scholarship in front of a packed audience for the annual State 4-H Auction. “I tried really hard, but I was not expecting to get it,” he added.
He was excited to earn a trip to the State Fair with his dairy project. He placed fifth out of 16 in his class and earned a blue ribbon. He also achieved honorable mention in the championship round of Net Merit, a dairy competition. 
Even though he did well with his dairy cow, Espinoza admits winning the scholarship was the highlight of the fair. 
Dairy has been in Espinoza’s family for many years. His father milked 20 cows by hand in Mexico before coming to the Kasson area. Most recently Espinoza has been helping milk around 200 cows at Zumbro Valley Farms by Mantorville.
“I’ve been around dairy cows most of my life,” Espinoza said. “I’ve grown to love them. I love everything about dairy,” he says. “I enjoy being on the farm and being around the cows,” he said, adding he finds everything interesting about what goes into the overall dairy product. 
Espinoza especially likes the genetics part of dairy. “I’d like to get into the genetic side of dairy,” he said. He would like to work his way up to become a dairy sire analyst. 
The 4-H program, Espinoza says, has been critical in helping him develop life-long skills. “It has been a great way for developing leadership and personal growth skills,” he said. 
Espinoza has been a member of the Zumbro Rockets 4-H Club for 13 years. He has one year left in 4-H.