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Food Industry Management (FIM) alumnus Martin Oglesby recently established a scholarship for current Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics students, just five months after his own graduation. Oglesby will fund an annual scholarship for exceptional FIM students, and has pledged an additional annual gift to the MSU Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter.
“The Martin Oglesby Scholarship is a way for me give back to the Food Industry Management program,” said Oglesby. “I created this scholarship because supporting people is what I love doing. When it comes to helping people, I wanted to conquer that goal right away.”
The scholarship component of Oglesby’s pledge will be awarded annually to a Food Industry Management student who excels inside and outside the classroom — and shows a passion for the food industry.
“FIM students are some of the most talented and passionate students at Michigan State, and our program is truly a hidden gem,” said Oglesby. “When MANRRS had a national conference in North Carolina back in April, the AFRE department sponsored my trip without any hesitation. If it wasn’t for AFRE sponsoring me, I wouldn’t be working in my current role right now. So I figured if AFRE didn’t hesitate to fund me for the national conference, why should I wait to create a scholarship for an FIM student?”
Now a customer service representative at Cargill in New Haven, Michigan, Oglesby saved diligently following graduation in May 2018 to build enough funds to create this scholarship.
“Saving money wasn’t easy for me, but I wanted to launch this scholarship badly,” said Oglesby.
“Most people wait until they retire before they think about creating a scholarship,” said AFRE professor Scott Swinton. “That Martin chose to ‘pay it forward’ says a lot about who he is. He’ll be changing the lives of 21-year-olds before he’s 25!” Swinton hired Oglesby onto a research project while Oglesby was a student in his managerial economics class in fall 2016.
I received help when I was a student, and it made all the difference. I created this scholarship so that I could make that difference for someone else. Martin Oglesby
During his time as a student, Oglesby served as vice president of membership for the Food Marketing Association, a research assistant under Scott Swinton, a teaching assistant under John Mann, became a Jack Allen Scholar, and was heavily involved in the MSU Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter.
“I’d like to thank former assistant director of development Kenneth Vaughn for helping me master my scholarship goal,” said Oglesby. “I also want to thank Larry Zink, for being a wonderful advisor towards the Food Marketing Association, and my MANRRS advisors Phillip Seaborn and Stephanie Chau, for being magnificent leaders towards the organization.
“I live by the statement, ‘conquer your challenges or your challenges will conquer you.’ I’m proud to have conquered this challenge, and hope others rise to similar challenges they have for themselves.”
Learn more about giving to the department, and take a look at Oglesby’s involvement as an undergraduate student.
