The Fulton County Fair Foundation awarded six $1,000 scholarships to graduates who have participated in the county, district or state fairs. Scholarship winners are:
Laken Bailey of Mammoth Spring is a graduate of Salem High School and became involved in the Fulton County Fair at an early age as a 4-H member and showed poultry and creative arts exhibits. She represented Fulton County in the Junior Fair Queen at the Arkansas State Fair and competed in the North Central Arkansas District Fair Queen Pageant. She is a Junior Fair Ambassador and is always willing to help with fair events and other projects in the community. She served as Assistant Superintendent in the Food Preparation Department at the 2019 Fulton County Fair.
She plans to attend the honors college at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro and pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy.
Tessa Barnett is a graduate of Salem High School and has been involved in The Fulton County Fair and North Central Ark. District Fair livestock shows for 9 years. She has also shown livestock at the Arkansas State Fair for 4 years. Tessa is a member of the Salem FFA Chapter and has served as chapter secretary for two years. She is also a member of the Salem Livestock Show Team. She has donated hours to projects to her school and in the community. Tessa is always willing to help the younger livestock exhibitors in the barn, whether it is helping them get their animal back to the stall or guiding a pig back into the pen.
Tesa will attend Arkansas Tech University and major in accounting.
Kyle Knight is a graduate of Salem High School and is president of the Student Council and is a member of the Outdoor Adventure 4-H Club. He has been involved in the Fulton County Fair for the past 5 years and in the North Central Ark. District Fair for one year. He is a Fulton County Fair Ambassador and serves as Assistant Superintendent in the Field Crops and Horticulture Department. Kyle is always willing to volunteer for the Fulton County Fair off-season events and donates many hours to the fair and to other community service projects through the Student Council and his 4-H club.
He plans to attend Arkansas State University and become a Physical Therapy Assistant.
Anna Neal is a graduate of Salem High School and is President of the Salem FFA Chapter and a member of the Salem Livestock Show Team and 4-H Livestock Club. She started showing in the livestock department at the County Fair at the young age of 4 and the 2020 fair will make her fourteenth year to be a Fulton County Fair exhibitor. She has shown in the district fair for 10 years and the state fair for 7 years. She has exhibited all species of livestock as well as handicrafts, quilting and baked goods. Anna is a Fulton County Fair Ambassador and serves as Assistant Superintendent of the Handicraft Department. She is always helping others at the county and district fairs. The “Best of The Best” is a highly competitive competition at the district fair and Anna set a goal to win that award. ‘She reached that goal at the 2018 district fair.
In addition to FFA, Anna is very active in the Salem High School Beta Club, Student Council, and FBLA and is a member of the Quiz Bowl Team and the Salem High School Golf Team and is an Honor Student. She has won numerous awards and is an Arkansas FFA STARS Over Arkansas Finalist.
Anna will attend Arkansas Tech University and will major in Agricultural Education.
Kathrine Newman is a Fulton County Fair Ambassador and a member of the Fulton County 4-H Horse Club. She is a graduate of the Mountain Home Christian Academy and was enrolled in part-time classes at Salem High School. Katherine started exhibiting in the County Fair in the creative arts and livestock departments at the age of 6 and has exhibited in the North Central Ark. District Fair for 5 years. She also exhibited in the Arkansas State Fair where she received a Best of Show Award. In 2018 she won Senior Dairy Showmanship at the district fair and competed in the Best of the Best Competition. She is Assistant Superintendent of the Food Preparation Department at the Fulton County Fair and has won many awards in the creative arts, horse show and dairy and sheep departments.
She played volleyball for Mountain Home Christian Academy and was the team captain her senior year. She also ran Cross Country and Track and served as a math tutor for other students and was the assistant director of choreography for the Homestyle Christian Educators Musicals for 3 years.
Katherine plans to attend ASU-Mountain Home and obtain an Associate Degree and then transfer to John Brown University and pursue a career in the medical field.
Rory Walling, a graduate of Salem High School has exhibited in the Fulton County Fair for 10 years, showing beef cattle, market swine, and poultry in the livestock department and photography, handicrafts, horticulture, and artwork in the creative arts department. She has shown beef cattle in the district fair and photography in the Arkansas State Fair. Rory serves as Assistant Superintendent of the Handicraft and Woodworking Departments at the Fulton County Fair and is a Fulton County Fair Ambassador. She is always available to assist with special days at the county fair honoring the veterans and seniors and helps with Kid’s Day each year. She is a Fulton County 4-H Club member. Rory is always willing to help the younger exhibitors with their exhibits in the barn and doing whatever needs to be done to make the livestock shows run smoothly.
Rory is involved in Beta Club, FBLA, Gifted and Talented, and Quiz Bowl at Salem High School and served as captain of the Salem Varsity Volleyball team her senior year and was named to the 1919 all-conference softball team. She earned 1st place in the FBLA district competition with her social media campaign on financial literacy. You can always find Rory helping with off-season events at the Fulton County Fairgrounds and assists her Church Youth Group with several community projects.
Rory plans to attend ASU – Jonesboro and earn a degree in education with a major and minor in history and English.
