Ben Traver

Starting in third grade, I spent almost a decade in 4-H. My parents have a hobby farm, and we raised a few commodity crops and beef cattle, which I started showing at county fairs at an early age. This allowed me to put aside a little money for college. Not having to take on massive student loans has been huge for me, and since my elementary school was right across the street from Ohio State's Agriculture Technical Institute (ATI) Wooster, I always knew where I wanted to go to college.

At an agriculture campus, I could work and learn at the same time, a perfect hands-on experience. At ATI, my advisor was Dr. Ryan Haden. He taught my soil fertility class, which developed my interest in soil management. He also gave me the opportunity to be a student assistant for a summer collecting data for trials on soil fertility and crop performance. On the main campus, my advisor, Dr. Alex Lindsey, taught me to think like a consultant when it comes to making recommendations for producers. Both advisors supported me as I developed the skills I need to further my career.

I knew someone was investing in me, and because of their generosity, I pushed myself even harder.

The scholarships I received made all the difference. Financial support allowed me to transition to the Columbus campus to study at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory without worrying about housing costs. I knew someone was investing in me, and because of their generosity, I pushed myself even harder. Right now, I’m thinking about pursuing a master’s degree to further my knowledge in soil fertilizer and farm feed quality and storage.

I knew someone was investing in me, and because of their generosity, I pushed myself even harder. - Ben Traver

I’m so thankful for the donors who have given me the chance to really focus on school. They’ve offered me a great head start toward my future career, while allowing me to invest some money in my home farm and continue my education. It’s just nice to know that someone believes in me. I hope to one day do the same, and help other people the way donors like you have helped me.

With gratitude,
Ben Traver ’21