K-State University Student Mardi Traskowsky Receives IMEF Grain Millers'/Kongsore Scholarship
Lenexa, KS – Mardi Traskowsky, a junior at Kansas State University, was announced as the recipient of the IMEF Grain Millers’/Christian F. Kongsore Scholarship at the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM) Annual Conference & Expo in Denver, Colorado.
The $5,000 scholarship will assist in covering Mardi’s tuition expenses for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Mardi is a dual-major student at K State in both milling science – operations and agricultural economics, and a secondary major in global food systems leadership.
She is the secretary for the Milling Science Club, the Milling Science Ag Ambassador for the College of Agriculture and an officer on the College of Agriculture’s Student Council.
A native of Herrington, Kansas, Mardi spent her summer 2018 internship at Ardent Mills in Ayer, Massachusetts.
In 2017, she completed an agricultural study abroad trip in South Africa, participated in the Global 4-H Network Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and completed an internship with Ardent Mills in Wichita, Kansas.
This summer she will intern in Paris, Illinois with Cargill at a dry corn mill. Her work ethic is described by advisors as “without question.”
The Christian F. Kongsore Scholarship was established in 2013, with a donation from Grain Millers, Inc., a company that Kongsore co-founded.
Born in Oslo, Norway in 1927, Kongsore worked at his family’s flour mill as a second generation miller and later moved to the US.
He graduated from K-State with a degree in milling science in 1954.
He not only dedicated his life to the milling profession, but also to its people. Kongsore is honored to be able to lend his name to such a wonderful cause – providing education to future grain science and milling students.
The IMEF Scholarship program was established to support the education of undergraduates in the sciences of grain milling.
IMEF is the philanthropic partner of IAOM. IMEF solicits, manages and distributes funds for educational programs related to the grain milling industry.
Established in 2003, the Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the grain milling industry through educational programs, professional development efforts and research projects.
Priorities include: Development of educational program and training materials
- Scholarships for K-State students and professionals
- Promoting the industry Career Kit to attract future, more-diverse generations to the profession
- Providing grants for professional management speakers to address IAOM conferences worldwide
- Updating educational and training DVDs, and
- Translating educational materials into other languages.
For more information, please contact imef@iaom.info or 913-338-3377.