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James R. Blahnik Memorial Scholarship
The James R. Blahnik Fund offers a one-time scholarship of $500 to a worthy graduating high school senior planning on furthering their education in an agriculture program.
James "Jim" R. Blahnik
"The American Farmer"
James "Jim" R. Blahnik, was born April 30, 1939 on the home farm. Jim attended the Kodan one-room schoolhouse and graduated from the Algoma High School in 1957 where he participated in football and FFA, receiving the highest degree "The American Farmer" in 1958. He attended the University of Wisconsin Short Course in 1958 and took over the family farm in 1972, farming from 1957-1981, then cash cropping thru 1990. Jim had numerous achievements and held many offices for organizations including; Kewaunee County Farm Bureau Rural Youth, Kewaunee County Farm Bureau President, Delegate to the National DHIA, President and representative on ARC Co-op DHIA, Director for the Guernsey Committee of Badger Breeders Co-op, Board of Directors for the Manitowoc Co-op and Lakeshore Federation Co-op. He received the Outstanding Young Farmer of Kewaunee County in 1974. Jim was a Sales Manager for Casco FS Co-op from 1982 to 2001. While at Casco FS he received the Wisconsin Sales Manager of the Year Award twice. Jim was a member of AmVets Post 42, Algoma. Member of St. Mary Catholic Church where he served on the church council, communion distributor, usher and adult server. His joy in life was watching his children and grandchildren achieve their goals.
Scholarship Requirements
Criteria
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Graduate of Algoma High School (Class of 2026)
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Plan to pursue post-secondary education (two- or four-year college, university, or technical/trade program) or short course in agriculture
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A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required.
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Shows initiative and leadership in academic, extracurricular, or community activities.
Application Process and Essay
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Complete the scholarship application, including a copy of your current high school transcript.
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Write a well-though out essay answering the following question in 500 words or less: "How has your involvement in agriculture and/or animals helped you grow individually, expand your interest in this field, shape your career path, and help your community?"
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If your application is selected to move forward after review, you will be contacted to schedule an in-person interview with the AAEF Scholarship Committee.
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Selection is made by the Algoma Area Education Foundation Scholarship Committee.
Letters of Recommendation
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​Provide two letters of recommendation. One must be written by a representative of the Algoma School District.
Deadline
Scholarship Open: March 16, 2026
Deadline: April 17, 2026