Student Receives Katherine Franzen Scholarship
JONESBORO — Clay Leder, an agricultural business major at Arkansas State University, is the new recipient of the Katherine Franzen Memorial Scholarship for the spring semester. Each spring, the Franzen family selects an A-State student for the award.
Leder is part of a fifth generation farming family from Stuttgart. He plans to fulfill the requirements for bachelor and master’s degrees at Arkansas State.
“I am very dedicated to agriculture. It has always been my family’s way of life,” said Leder. “I would like to contribute to the farming community in my career. I think my main goal is to incorporate the values and experiences I have had through being raised on a farm in southeast Arkansas into my job and my life so those around me can see the value of agriculture in our society for years to come.”
Scholarship recipients must be from Arkansas County and a full-time student at Arkansas State majoring in an agriculture-related field. The scholarship was founded to help students advance their education in the agricultural field. Recipients must maintain a minimum 2.25 grade point average and must exhibit leadership qualities.
The Katherine Franzen privately funded scholarship was established in 1992 by her grandson, Tom W. Franzen, to honor his grandmother who lived in Stuttgart. She was an astute farmer and businesswoman whose generosity was far-reaching.
Katherine E. Franzen (1914-2001) was a lifelong resident who contributed to a number of causes in the Stuttgart area. She was especially known for presenting anonymous gifts and sought no personal recognition.
