Robin Coulter Lapaseotes Memorial Scholarship Established

July 8, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Robin Coulter Lapaseotes Memorial Scholarship for Agricultural Entrepreneurship Students has been established in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

A gift of $120,000 was made by the family and friends of Robin Coulter Lapaseotes, a rancher, community leader and entrepreneur from Bridgeport. Coulter Lapaseotes was killed in an automobile accident in February 2014.

Two awards of $6,000 will be awarded annually to recipients who are enrolled in majors in CASNR at UNL, have a declared minor in the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, and are committed to pursuing an entrepreneurial career in agriculture following graduation.

A former advisory board member for the Engler Program, Coulter Lapaseotes was a force of enthusiasm and vision for young women desiring to build businesses in agriculture and rural communities.

The inaugural recipients of the award are Amber Burenheide of Howells and Kolin Scheele of Odell.

Burenheide is a junior who characterizes herself as "a small town girl trying to make a difference in a big way."  A former state FFA officer, Burenheide has grown her business, ABChicken, to the point of producing and processing more than 1,500 farm fresh birds. She also has developed markets for poultry by-products to improve business margins. She points to the bumps in the road as the lessons that help her learn and grow the enterprise, "we all have the choice to get up after we fall down and keep going – entrepreneurship comes from inside you!"

Scheele, a junior, recognizes the importance of leadership in business - "confidence and self-assurance come from getting others excited about the opportunity." He also is active in the Nebraska Beef Scholars program and as co-chairman of the Collegiate Cattlemen's Association. The 2011 state FFA beef proficiency award winner, Scheele seeks opportunities where risk and pressure are part of the equation as these factors "make me drive through difficulties and in the end accomplish what I never thought I could do."

Application for next year's award can be found at engler.unl.edu and the deadline for submission is Feb. 15, 2015.