Helmut and Bob Brunner Memorial Scholarship
Abby is the daughter of Janelle Perez of Keenesburg. She is a Junior at CSU in Ft. Collins and is majoring in Equine Sciences to become an animal welfare lawyer or follow the route of public policy.
Abby had many encounters with animal activist groups throughout her time in FFA and 4-H. Most of these encounters were during her Colorado State FFA officer year, where she traveled the state to promote agriculture and leadership. While attending an Ag Forum event in Denver, an animal activist group decided to have a small gathering at the event and she was able to have a conversation with one of their members. The conversation started very aggressively on both sides until she decided to stop trying to argue and start listening. When Abby studied abroad in Italy, they were able to visit a number of farms to learn about European practices and one dairy really stood out to her. The dairy in Bologna showed us their Partigano cheese making process and then we were allowed to look at the cattle. They had a few calves separated from the rest and of course the rest of her group went to go pet them. In the US whenever her school group or her 4-H group would visit a dairy we would have to put on hand sanitizer, gloves, and booties to pet the calves, while in Bologna they didn’t give us anything. This was a huge shock to Abby because at closer look she could see, hear, and smell the sickness from the calves. Also, when taking a closer look at the dairy cattle, she could see abscesses all over the heifers and most of them had hoof problems. The pens were not clean at all and Abby was appalled. In Italy she learned that most agricultural producers do not believe in vaccinations, castration, docking, or anything that is not “natural”.
Abby started 4-H later than other kids and had no idea what she was doing. No one in her family showed in 4-H so we were all trying to figure it out together. When she transferred to a new club and ran for president, she made it her goal to help out the younger members in the club as well as help each member practice and learn their parliamentary procedure skills. During meetings, she would offer help to the members who wanted to start a horse project and was able to see them flourish. Abby was presented the opportunity to join the Citizens Washington Focus program and volunteered at many events to help her citizenship skills as well as help her community. This was monumental in her citizen and leadership skills gained. She always thinks back to her time in 4-H and truly believes that it made her into the leader she is today. Through Abby’s time as her club president and her time as her local counties Fair queen at Southeast Weld County and Weld County, Abby was able to gain the confidence to continue her leadership through FFA and hold chapter, district, and even a state office. She is now a leader in her college career holding an office in her Farm Bureau Chapter as well as running for a student government position through CSU College of Agricultural Sciences. She thanks her community and mentors for who she is today and all that she has accomplished.
Abby is the recipient of the Helmut and Bob Brunner Memorial Scholarship.