Panhandle Scholarship Helps Student Build Livestock Future

Scholarship support helps student pursue agricultural dreams

• Bonnie Johnson
• October 27, 2026
• Media Article

Supported by a Panhandle scholarship, animal science student Gavin Bell is gaining hands-on experience and leadership opportunities at UNL while preparing to return to and strengthen his family’s cow-calf operation.

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Growing up in Nebraska’s Panhandle, Gavin Bell always knew he wanted a future in livestock production. However, attending a four-year university was never part of his original plan. Today, the Hemingford native is pursuing an animal science degree at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with support from a scholarship provided by the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center.
 

Bell has been involved in his family’s cow-calf operation since childhood and hopes to continue the business that his grandparents established. As he explored educational opportunities in agriculture, he realized that a college degree could help him build valuable knowledge and skills for the future of the operation.
 

“If you would have told me in high school that I was going to go to UNL, I would have told you that you're joking,” he said with a laugh. “I just never thought I’d be at a major four-year institution.”
 

His participation in Future Farmers of America and the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute introduced him to East Campus and the university’s agricultural programs. After visiting campus and learning more about the animal science department, Bell became confident that Nebraska was the right place to continue his education.
 

“I realized I really liked it on campus,” he said. “Once I set up an official visit, I got a really in-depth look at the animal science program and realized all the hands-on opportunities you get in class — that’s when I decided that this is where I wanted to be.”
 

The scholarship helped reduce financial concerns and allowed Bell to become more involved in campus life. He now participates in several student organizations, including the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, the CASNR Student Advisory Board, and the animal science ambassador program.
 

Looking ahead, Bell plans to return to his hometown after graduation and apply what he has learned in the classroom to his family’s cow-calf operation. He believes his university education will help him strengthen the business while achieving an important personal and professional goal.
 

Photo Credit: University of Nebraska–Lincoln