Two NCSU Students Awarded Scholarship by State Pest Association

The North Carolina Education Foundation of the North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) awarded scholarships to Travis Ricks and Angela Sierras to assist in the continuation of their studies at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Ricks is a sophomore studying Agricultural Business Management, and Sierras is a graduate student studying entomology.

The North Carolina Education Foundation awards $1,500 annually to two students attending North Carolina State University. The scholarships were presented at the NCPMA Pest Control Technician’s School in Durham on Jan. 26.

Travis Ricks grew up in Wilson, NC. and graduated from Ralph L. Fike High School in 2012. He received three associate’s degrees in Livestock and Poultry Management, Agricultural Business and General Agriculture from the Agricultural Institute at North Carolina State University.  In the fall of 2015, he began to pursue a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business Management at NCSU. He plans to start his own pest control company focusing in Wilson, NC and the surrounding areas upon graduation.

A native of Pasadena, CA, Angela Sierras completed her bachelor's degree in Zoology at NCSU. She worked as a certified pest control technician in North Carolina where she became interested in urban pest management and bed bugs. She is pursuing a graduate degree in entomology at NCSU where she is focusing her studies on bed bugs and improving methods for urban pest management.