Local News

Scholarship will honor WVUP student killed in farming accident

PARKERSBURG -- The family of Ethan Cain, a West Virginia University at Parkersburg student killed in a farming accident, met with the WVUP Foundation on Nov. 28 to finalize the agreement for the Ethan Cain Memorial Scholarship, the school announced.

"The scholarship holds significant meaning for the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation as it commemorates the life of Ethan and honors his passion for agriculture," said Olivia Reeder, director of the WVUP Foundation, in a release. "It serves as a lasting tribute to his memory while supporting the educational pursuits of future agriculture students. We are grateful that the family chose such an impactful way to memorialize Ethan."

Reeder said the scholarship is designed to financially assist agriculture students at WVUP.

"It may cover various expenses related to their education, such as tuition, textbooks and other academic fees, providing valuable support for their academic journey," she said.

Sheena Deem, Cain's aunt, as well as several cousins and other family members attended the scholarship signing in his honor, the release said.

"This scholarship means a lot to us. This means that we're keeping Ethan's name alive," Deem said in the release. "We wanted to try to help out other kids that needed help on trying to further their education in agriculture."

Deem said Ethan had been interested in farming since he could walk.

"Ethan, for probably as soon as he was able to walk, was riding a tractor with Papaw; he lived, ate and breathed the farm," she said.

Cain participated in WVUP's Short-Term Agribusiness program and worked on the Riverhawk Farm with John Riggs, agriculture director, the release said.

"Ethan Cain meant an awful lot to me, as a friend, a student and a farmer," Riggs said in the release. "I really respected his drive and work ethic for as young as he was; it is hard to come by that level of work ethic today.

"He took a great deal of pride in working to earn money and buying his own things," he said. "He was one of those farm kids, much like myself, that loved to be out on the tractor, baling hay or feeding cattle."

Riggs said he was humbled and honored that the Cain and Clevenger families "trusted me to bring this scholarship to WVU Parkersburg's Agriculture program.

"WVU Parkersburg Agriculture's main goal is educating the next generation of agriculturalists," Riggs said in the release. "When I was first told about the Ethan Cain Memorial Scholarship, I became very emotional due to my connection with the family and the sensitivity of the matter. Knowing what this means to the family, community and the future of agriculture education for other students, we will strive to be the best stewards of this funding as we can be."

Riggs said in the release that seeing the community come together to support the scholarship speaks volumes to what type of person Cain was.

"His name will live on forever through this scholarship, and many students will be able to advance their farming knowledge because of him. That would have meant a great deal to Ethan," Riggs said. "I would like to thank the family, community and the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation for all the work that went into bringing the Ethan Cain Memorial Fund to fruition."

The release said the scholarship will be available to students who have graduated from Ritchie County High School or St. Marys High School and plan to pursue agriculture at WVUP. If no student from that area is eligible, it may go to any West Virginia student pursuing agriculture.

More information is available by contacting the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation at foundation@wvup.edu.