The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation is happy to announce the establishment of the Terence J. Centner Agricultural and Environmental 4-H Scholarship. Terence (Terry) J. Centner established this fund to honor his parents, Harry E. and Mary Ellen Centner. Harry and Mary Ellen resided at the Centner Farm on Chestnut Road in the Town of Dunkirk. They helped a generation of 4-Hers, including their children Harry A. (Bud), Terry, and Jean, to enjoy a multitude of 4-H projects and activities.
Harry was the leader of the northern Chautauqua tractor project. For many years, he taught teens the basics of tractor maintenance and operation. One of these teens became a national 4-H tractor winner. Mary Ellen taught many horticultural projects. She also served on the Chautauqua County 4-H Executive Committee overseeing the staff and programs in the county. Terry proudly established this scholarship in honor of his parents’ dedication and hard work on their family farm in the Town of Dunkirk, and their leadership activities in the Chautauqua County 4-H Program.
Terry Centner is a professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Athens, Georgia. In 2015, he was honored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a national teacher of the year.
This scholarship fund will provide monies to a high school senior accepted to a 4-year college or university who has an outstanding agricultural or environmental 4-H Project. The scholarship is open to graduating seniors from Dunkirk, Fredonia, Brocton, Silver Creek, Forestville, Westfield, and Ripley school systems. Applications are available from the school’s guidance department and must be turned in by May 1, 2017.
For more information on this scholarship or other scholarships held at the NCCF, contact Nancy Mosier, NCCF Scholarship Coordinator, at 716-366-4892 or nmosier@nccfoundation.org.
The NCCF was incorporated in 1986 as a tax-exempt charitable organization. Since its establishment, the NCCF has distributed more than $12.9 million in the community through its various grant programs. It is an organization inherently committed to enriching the northern Chautauqua community and encouraging local philanthropy. For more information on the NCCF, visit www.nccfoundation.org or call 716-366-4892.
