2026 Winners
Bowdrie A. Priefert, a 17-year-old senior at Mount Pleasant High School, has been named the recipient of a $5,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The son of Amanda and Travis Priefert, Bowdrie is ranked 13th in a class of 377 students and will graduate from Mount Pleasant High School in 2027.
Following graduation, Bowdrie plans to attend Texas A&M University in College Station, where he will major in Mechanical Engineering. His interest in engineering reflects his mechanical mindset and his enjoyment of robotic design, drafting, production, and hands-on projects through his engineering and agricultural classes.
Bowdrie's accomplishments extend well beyond the classroom. He is a member of the National Honor Society, serving as treasurer of his high school's chapter, and is also a member of the National Technical Honor Society. He has received College Board National Recognition Program awards for both School Recognition and Rural & Small Town Recognition. He was also selected as the Mount Pleasant Rotary Club Student of the Month in November 2026.
Agriculture and livestock have been a central part of Bowdrie's life throughout high school. He is currently in his 10th year as a member of Mount Pleasant FFA, beginning with Mount Pleasant Junior FFA and continuing through his high school years. He served as FFA Chapter Secretary during his junior year and currently serves as Chapter Vice President. He has earned numerous FFA honors, including Star Greenhand, Star Chapter Farmer, Star Lone Star Farmer, Top Hand, Above and Beyond, and Officer Choice awards. In July 2026, he received his Lone Star Degree at the Texas FFA State Convention in Fort Worth.
Bowdrie has also been a member of Mount Pleasant FFA's livestock judging team, qualifying for state competition in 2025 and 2026. He has participated in the FFA radio broadcast, senior quiz, and veterinary science teams and has represented Mount Pleasant FFA as a voting delegate at district, area, and state conventions.
His livestock experience includes raising and exhibiting market hogs and breeding gilts at jackpot and open shows, the Titus County Fair, and major Texas livestock shows, including the State Fair of Texas and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He has earned Grand and Reserve Champion honors in both the market hog and breeding gilt shows at the Titus County Fair, along with multiple showmanship banners.
The Titus County Fair has been a particularly important part of Bowdrie's agricultural experience. He has exhibited livestock at the fair since his first year of eligibility as a third grader, making 2026 his 10th and final year as a livestock exhibitor. In livestock judging, he was a member of the second-highest-scoring overall team during his sophomore and junior years and was the Overall High Point Individual Champion during his junior year.
For the past two years, Bowdrie has also served as a Titus County Fair Junior Livestock Ambassador. In that role, he has represented the fair at community events, radio interviews, the Titus County Farm Bureau, Mount Pleasant Rotary Club, and local businesses. He has helped educate the public about youth livestock projects and encouraged community members to attend the fair. He has also assisted with fair setup and teardown and participated in various activities throughout fair week.
One of the most meaningful parts of Bowdrie's involvement in agriculture has been mentoring younger livestock exhibitors. He regularly works with beginning exhibitors and their families, helping them learn proper pen setup, feeding and animal-care routines, grooming, showmanship, and techniques for preparing their livestock for competition. He also assists families with the care of their projects when they are away.
Bowdrie views this mentorship as a way of giving back to the livestock community that has given him so much. By helping younger exhibitors overcome some of the challenges of getting started, he hopes to make showing livestock more accessible and enjoyable for the next generation.
Outside of school and FFA, Bowdrie has worked as a farm and ranch hand at Priefert Ranch and Betts Ranch/Hilltop Farm. He enjoys spending time outdoors and working on the ranch with his family, along with hunting and shooting sports. He particularly values the time spent in the barn with his younger twin brothers and cousin while caring for and preparing their livestock projects.
When describing what the barn and livestock experience mean to him, Bowdrie says, "I thrive on the routine and consistency of purpose found in the barn."
His interests also include history, particularly World War II, as well as mechanical design and technology. Whether working with livestock, studying engineering, or helping younger exhibitors, Bowdrie's experiences have given him a strong foundation of discipline, leadership, service, and hands-on problem solving as he prepares for the next chapter of his education at Texas A&M University.
Rebecca Ann Dunn, a 17-year-old senior at Mount Pleasant High School, has been named the recipient of a $5,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The daughter of Eric Dunn and Kathryn Heintz, Rebecca is ranked 5th in a class of 377 students and will graduate from Mount Pleasant High School in 2027.
Following graduation, Rebecca plans to attend Texas Tech University, where she will major in pre-veterinary medicine in preparation for veterinary school. Her goal is to become a rural mixed-practice veterinarian and return to serve her hometown. Growing up on her family's ranch and watching her mother, a veterinarian, work with local producers inspired her calling to the profession.
Rebecca is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society and has served on Student Council since 2023. She has been a member of FFA since 2017, serving as chapter treasurer in 2025-2026 and currently serving as chapter chaplain. She won first place in Senior Creed Speaking in 2025, has been a member of the state-qualifying livestock judging team from 2023 to 2026, and received her Lone Star Degree in 2026. She has also earned academic blankets in Spanish II and U.S. History and competed on the rodeo team from 2024 to 2026. In 4-H, she serves as Vice President of Titus County 4-H.
Livestock have been at the heart of Rebecca's involvement with the Titus County Fair, where she has exhibited since 2015, when she won Best of Show in food preservation with a fig jelly she made with her babysitter. She began showing lambs in 2017 and has since exhibited sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs. She has earned numerous Grand and Reserve Champion titles at the fair, including Grand Champion Market Lamb in 2022 and 2023, Grand Champion Breeding Ewe in 2024, and Grand Champion Market Goat in 2024. She won Supreme Showmanship in 2023 and has competed in it in the years since. She has also been a member of the high-scoring team in livestock judging at the fair in 2023, 2024, and 2025, finishing third overall as an individual in 2024.
Rebecca has served as a Titus County Fair Junior Livestock Ambassador since 2025 and has volunteered at the fair's Education Day, where she served as spokesperson for the cattle section and taught students and teachers about the daily routine of a show cow. During the summer, she helps local children who are showing sheep and goats at the Titus County Fair and other county fairs, and she hopes to be a role model for them. She also works as a ranch hand at Heintz Livestock, where she helps with feeding, vaccinations, and veterinary procedures.
Rebecca plans to attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she will major in pre-veterinary medicine.
AvaJade Grissom, a 17-year-old senior at Chapel Hill High School, has been named the recipient of a $3,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The daughter of Jeremy and Windy Grissom, AvaJade is ranked 27th in a class of 71 students and will graduate from Chapel Hill High School in 2027.
AvaJade has been an active leader in FFA throughout high school. She has served as Chapel Hill FFA Historian, Reporter, and currently Vice President, and she was elected Paris District FFA President for 2026-2027. This summer, she received her Lone Star Degree at the Texas FFA State Convention. She has competed in Agricultural Issues Leadership Development Events and in Veterinary Science Career Development Events, and she won first place in Animal Science at the Paris District Speaking Event.
AvaJade's love of livestock began on her grandparents' dairy and poultry farm. At age 11, she raised her first market goat, Oscar, for the Titus County Fair, and she has exhibited at the fair every year since. Her fair accomplishments include first in class with her market goat, Reserve Champion honors in both the commercial breeding doe and commercial breeding ewe shows in 2024, and the win in Commercial Breeding Doe Showmanship that year. She has also exhibited at major shows, including the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, the State Fair of Texas, the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where she placed seventh in class with a market lamb and made the sale.
AvaJade served as a Titus County Fair Junior Ambassador in 2025 and is serving as the fair's Senior Ambassador this year. She says the role has helped her grow in confidence and communication skills and has given her the chance to welcome visitors and encourage younger exhibitors. This year, she plans to exhibit a market goat, two market lambs, a commercial breeding goat, and a breeding ewe, and she will compete in Senior Public Speaking.
AvaJade is a member of First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, where she participates in the youth group and helps with the monthly food drive. Her community service includes raising $2,500 in gift cards for Texas Hill Country flood victims, collecting blue jeans for Blue Jeans Go Green, and making ornaments and Valentine's Day cards for residents of local nursing homes. She works at Randy's Burgers and The Dance Company and enjoys attending Texas country concerts.
AvaJade plans to attend Northeast Texas Community College, where she will pursue a degree in nursing.
Anna Beth Sellers, a 17-year-old senior at Chapel Hill High School, has been named the recipient of a $3,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The daughter of Tommy and Shonda Randle, Anna Beth will graduate from Chapel Hill High School in 2027.
Anna Beth has been an active member of FFA throughout high school. She has earned her Greenhand and Chapter Degrees, served as chapter treasurer her junior year, and was recognized with the Progressive Individual Award as a sophomore and as part of the Outstanding Chapter Officer Team as a junior. She has also competed on the livestock judging team, placing ninth overall as an individual at the Henderson FFA Invitational, and earned 11th place in Agricultural Issues at the Area Leadership Development Events. She has taken part in the Gifted and Talented program all four years of high school.
Her livestock accomplishments include first in class with Angus at both the Fort Worth Stock Show and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, third in class at the State Fair of Texas, and Division Champion and first in class with a Hereford at the State Fair of Louisiana. She is also a member of the Ryon Cox Ranch Show Team.
Anna Beth has been part of the Titus County Fair for most of her life, beginning with dance and choir performances as a young child and continuing with entries in the Spelling Bee and Science Fair. She earned first place in class in the Market Hog Show in eighth grade and competed in Floral Design, Ag Speech, and the Market Hog and Breeding Shows in high school. Last year, she was named Reserve Champion in the Hereford heifer breeding show and served as a Titus County Fair Ambassador, helping promote the fair, assisting with the Ag Market Shows, leading pledges and prayers, and mentoring Junior FFA members. This year, she plans to show two market hogs and one breeding hog and to continue serving as an ambassador.
Anna Beth has been a member of Titus County 4-H and of the Argo Missionary Baptist Church youth group, where she has served as a worship leader for Vacation Bible School and as an assistant teacher for the kindergarten through third grade children's class. She has babysat since age 12 and currently works at Texas Country Farm Supply. She enjoys working cattle and mentoring younger children who are exploring agriculture. She has two younger siblings, Robby and Clara, and an older sister, Emma.
Anna Beth hopes to become an agricultural education teacher and pay forward the support she received from her own ag teachers. She plans to attend Northeast Texas Community College to earn an associate degree and then transfer to Stephen F. Austin State University or Tarleton State University to pursue a bachelor's degree in science and education, followed by a master's degree in agricultural education.
Sloan Paul Abbott, a 17-year-old senior at Chapel Hill High School, has been named the recipient of a $3,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The son of Trent and Jennifer Abbott, Sloan is ranked 17th in a class of 71 students and will graduate from Chapel Hill High School in 2027.
Sloan has been active in athletics and leadership throughout high school. He has played basketball for four years and has been a varsity member of the cross country team for three years, qualifying for regionals each year and receiving the Most Heart award as a junior. He has also been a four-year varsity member of the track team, advancing to the area meet in the 400-meter and 800-meter events as a sophomore and junior and earning the Most Improved award his junior year. Sloan served as a class officer his junior year and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a senior.
Agriculture has been a part of Sloan's life since he joined FFA in third grade. He has earned his Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, and Texas Lone Star Degree, and he competed in dairy cattle judging as a sophomore. Each year, he has built an agricultural mechanics project, beginning with a seesaw in third grade and progressing through a ping-pong table, porch swing bed, bench, table, beverage cart, and epoxy table. As a freshman, he won showmanship for Agricultural Mechanics and earned Reserve Grand Champion honors. His most ambitious project to date is a cedar strip canoe, which he plans to exhibit in the Ag Mechanics Show at this year's Titus County Fair. He hopes to sell it afterward and then take it to the State Fair.
Sloan credits his years in agriculture with giving him a strong foundation, including the skills to choose a college major and the confidence to overcome a fear of public speaking.
In the community, Sloan has helped with food drives and gone on mission trips through his church, packed backpacks for Titus County Cares, and volunteered with Carry the Load, where he prepares food for veterans. He spent the summer of 2025 working at Chick-fil-A. Outside of school, he enjoys hunting and fishing and says he has been fishing since he could walk. He is the twin brother of fellow scholarship recipient Ty Abbott and has a younger sister, Georgia Ann.
Sloan plans to attend Texas Tech University, where he will major in construction management.
Ty Michael Abbott, a 17-year-old senior at Chapel Hill High School, has been named the recipient of a $3,000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. The son of Trent and Jennifer Abbott, Ty is ranked 7th in a class of 71 students and will graduate from Chapel Hill High School in 2027.
Ty is a standout athlete and student leader. He has been a varsity member of the basketball team for four years and the golf team for four years, and he has also competed on the varsity tennis, track and field, and cross country teams. He was named to the All-District basketball team and was the 2026 Newcomer of the Year. Ty has served as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader for three years and is a two-year member of the National Honor Society.
Ty has exhibited agricultural mechanics projects at the Titus County Fair for nine years. This year, he plans to show and sell a concrete top table.
In the community, Ty is a member of the youth group at First Baptist Church and has taken part in a mission trip to Fort Worth. During the summer of 2026, he worked at Bell Ranch, where he put up fences and cleaned cattle chutes, water troughs, and the barn. He enjoys hog hunting and fishing with friends, as well as playing pickleball and golf. He is the twin brother of fellow scholarship recipient Sloan Abbott and has a younger sister, Georgia Ann.
Ty plans to study civil engineering and hopes to build a career in the construction industry, eventually moving into a leadership role. He plans to earn an MBA at Southern Methodist University after college. For his undergraduate studies, he is trying to decide between Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arkansas, and Texas A&M University.