Editorial: April 18, 2025

The American Kennel Club has been encouraging Juniors in all disciplines to remain involved and expand their interest in the sport, and rewarding them for their scholastic achievements. All the Juniors programs at the American Kennel Club are the responsibility of Mari-Beth O’Neill, vice president of Sports Services. As a former Junior Showmanship participant, she understands firsthand the importance of acknowledging and rewarding these Juniors in hopes that they will remain involved in the sport when they are adults. As a condition each of the recipients must be a member of a kennel club or volunteer to work at a kennel-club event.

There are three different scholarships on offer. A few of the applicants qualified and applied in each category and were successful in getting their scholarships. For the three different scholarships, there is a total of $42,500 allocated from the board of directors. We are listing the names of the Juniors, as we recognize the contributions they are making and congratulate them on their achievements.

The scholarship winners of the 2025 AKC Junior Scholarship, sharing the $22,500 in scholarship money, are Catherine Eychaner from Anchorage, Alaska; O’Malley McGee from Simpsonville, South Carolina; Kaitlynn Myers from Leslie, Missouri; Isabella Ruffoni from Gilroy, California; Carly Satterfield from Bowdoinham, Maine; Brielle Villarreal from Elk Grove, California; Mya Welling from Cincinnati, Ohio; Kelly Williams from Vista, California, and Ashley YoHo from Stillwater, Minnesota.

The Junior Performance Events Scholarship recipients will share the $10,000 allocated in scholarship funds; they are Xochitl Berns from Portland, Oregon; Michelle Harman from Walnut Cove, North Carolina; Cadence Manno from Ashland City, Tennessee; Ryan Markey from Kensington, Connecticut; O’Malley McGee from Simpsonville, North Carolina; Kaitlynn Myers from Leslie, Missouri, and Allyson Palmer from Franklin, Massachusetts.

The $10,000 awarded to the winners for the Junior Companion Events Scholarship goes to Kathryn Doane from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Catherine Eychaner from Anchorage, Alaska; Carly Keiser from Robesonia, Pennsylvania; Isabelle McKee from Waunakee, Wisconsin; Calum Morgan from Buhler, Kansas; Kaitlynn Myers from Leslie, Missouri; Ashlyn Navis from Piedmont, South Carolina, and Danielle Wagner from Savage, Minnesota. Two former Juniors who have not only remained in the sport but have made it their careers are the aforementioned Mari-Beth O’Neill and the talented and successful professional handler Angie Lloyd.

While these three scholarships are underwritten by the American Kennel Club, another of their worthy scholarships are the Versatility Scholarships, which rely on donations for help with their funding.