Parsons recipient of Bill House Hereford Foundation Endowed Scholarship

Arkansas City/Winfield, KS: Thomas Parsons, a graduate of Dexter High School, is the 2018 recipient of the Bill House Hereford Foundation Endowed Scholarship, provided through Legacy Regional Community Foundation. Parsons will receive $500 towards his education from the newly established endowment. Parsons is currently a freshman at Cowley County Community College. He will transfer to Kansas State University in the fall where he will work to earn a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness and a minor in Animal Sciences.

"Growing up in production agriculture, from a young age I have desired to pursue my life's work in the agriculture industry," stated Parsons, "Living on a cow-calf and farrow-to-finish swine operation I learned a lot about values, integrity, and hard work."

Work ethic is a true value of Thomas Parsons. Whether it is spending long days on the farm/ranch or studying to maintain his 4.0 GPA in college, he is never afraid to work hard and not quitting until the job is done. Parsons enjoys adding to his knowledge about sustainable agriculture, holistic management, and ways to increase efficiency. Additionally, Parsons has completed several programs to enhance his leadership capacity. When he’s not at work, Thomas’s favorite thing to do is to spend time with family.

Following graduation from K-State, Parson’s is planning to return to Cowley County to help with the family operation and to begin his own cow-calf operation. He looks forward to meeting new friends and making lots of connections at K-State. Moreover, he is looking forward to finding ways to meet his goals and being able to help others pursue their desires and meet their goals as well.

The Bill House Hereford Foundation Endowed Scholarship is intended for graduating seniors enrolled at a Cowley County high school or a student from Cowley County currently enrolled in a community college. This scholarship is open to candidates of promise who excel in pre-law, agriculture and/or vocational technology and intend to major in law, agriculture/animal science or vocational technology at a post secondary school. Bill House was born Swain William House at the home place in Cedar Vale (KS) on January 23, 1916. Mr. House graduated from Cedar Vale High School in 1933. Following a successful career and at home in Kansas, Mr. House ranched establishing Bill House Hereford Foundation. The mission of the Bill House Hereford Foundation is to provide educational, both academic and apprenticeship instructional opportunities to citizens of the state of Kansas who are dedicating their lives to Hereford ranching or parallel activities that foster Hereford beef cattle raising.

Bill House is an outstanding model of a successful, genuine and generous self-made man that made a difference through his actions. The legacy of Bill House lives on through the Bill House Hereford Foundation, his family, his many friends, and the results of his life’s work. He was a boy from Cedar Vale (KS) that impacted the world.

Learn more about the Bill House Hereford Foundation Endowed Scholarship at www.legacyregionalfoundation.org.