Three California State University, Fresno agriculture students will receive scholarship assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through a program that pays for study in exchange for working for a USDA program.

The awardees are Amandajo Bettencourt of Modesto (Agriculture Education) and Caitlin Guest of San Jose (Animal Science, who will work for the AMS poultry programs, and Aki Dionisopoulos of San Jose (Business – Entrepreneurship), who will join AMS fruit and vegetable programs.

“Since 2005 we have been proud to work with Fresno State to create a program that establishes a pipeline for future employees,” said Rayne Pegg, AMS administrator in Washington, D.C. “In addition, we would like to see the program substantially increase the overall diversity of our agency’s programs.”

The AMS Student Assistantship Program helps Fresno State students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resources or related fields. Upon graduation, students are obligated to complete one year of service with AMS for each year of financial support. AMS primarily employs agricultural commodity graders and marketing specialists, contracting specialists, market news reporters, economists, scientists and information technology specialists.

USDA and Fresno State recently amended a cooperative agreement that provides tuition assistance to students participating in the AMS program, which now funds up to eight full-time scholarships at any one time. Annually, the agency will invest up to $5,879 per student, covering tuition and registration fees, and an additional $500 for books each semester.

The program provides an opportunity for students such as Brian Fuso, a 2010 Fresno State graduate, to go directly to work following graduation. Fuso now works for AMS as a shell egg grader in the San Joaquin County town of Farmington.

For more, visit http://jcast.csufresno.edu/outreach_programs/usda_ams.aspx. The application deadline is Dec. 31.

Additional information is available from recruitment coordinator Jennifer Turpin at Jennifer.turpin@ams.usda.gov.