Syngenta Awards Five Students the Durastak Traits of Tomorrow Scholarship
29 October 2026, Raleigh: Syngenta awarded five college students $2,000 each through the Durastak Traits of Tomorrow Scholarship, a new program designed to support the success of the young adults building the future of agriculture.
The winners of the 2026 Durastak Traits of Tomorrow Scholarship are:
- Sophia Barnum, Michigan State University, Crop and Soil Sciences
- Braydon Binger, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Agronomy
- Kaarina Dunn, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Environmental Sciences and Agroecology
- Ethan Fisher, Kansas State University, Biological Systems Engineering
- Calvin Myers, Purdue University, Agribusiness Management
Recipients were selected by a panel of judges based on the merits of their applications and their demonstration of determination, resourcefulness and a forward-thinking mindset. The scholarship was open to seniors in high school or full-time students across the Midwest pursuing a degree in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics or agriculture-related field of study.
“We’re proud to support the next generation of agricultural leaders with this scholarship opportunity,” said Steve Sterchi, Head of Product & Commercial Strategy at Syngenta. “These five recipients are proof that the future of agriculture is in great hands, and we’re excited to see the impact young people like them will make on the industry.”
Scholarship recipient Ethan Fisher is studying agricultural engineering with the plan to start his own operation after graduation and help move the industry forward through the challenges it’s facing today.
“Agriculture is an ever-changing world, it’s never going to stop advancing, I don’t think. It takes a lot to figure out how to build an operation from nothing nowadays and that’s a task that I personally want to tackle,” said Fisher. “Thank you for helping me cover my educational expenses, thank you for realizing that I want to be part of the solution here.”
Another recipient, Kaarina Dunn, plans to pursue a career in agricultural policymaking at the state or national level to help farmers get the governmental assistance they need and teach young people about the importance of the agriculture industry.
“This scholarship shows youth that agriculture isn’t something that just happens on a family farm, it happens in universities, it happens in classrooms all across the world,” said Dunn. “I think hands-on agriculture work is obviously the way of the future. It’s how youth learn about what they’re eating every single day, where it comes from and how our local communities are impacted by the choices that we make in grocery stores.”
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