Four Sampson County FFA students have earned $1,000 scholarships thanks to Ford of Clinton and the Ford Motor Company.

Aaron Warwick, a senior at Hobbton High; Daniel Thompson and Gabrielle Chestnutt, seniors at Union High; and Caroline Clement, a senior at Midway High have been chosen as recipients of the $1,000 scholarship

Warwick’s father is Keith Warwick of Newton Grove. He plans to study Agricultural Business Management at Mount Olive College.

Thompson’s parents are John Thompson and Deborah Thompson of Clinton. He plans to study Agricultural Engineering at North Carolina State University.

Clement’s parents are Stewart Clement and Allison Clement of Clinton. She plans to study Agricultural Education at North Carolina State University.

Chestnutt’s parents are Billy Chestnutt and Sylvia Chestnutt of Garland. She plans to study Agricultural Education at Sampson Community College in Clinton.

The Built Ford Tough — FFA Scholarship Program is designed to recognize FFA members’ talents and accomplishments while encouraging their future academic achievements. The scholarship is one of 529 scholarships awarded by Ford Division, Ford Motor Company Fund and Ford Dealers to FFA members who are high school seniors planning to attend college in the fall of 2012, or current collegiate students. This program is a part of Ford’s overall commitment to the National FFA Foundation.

Additionally, five National $1,000 BFT — FFA Scholarships are being awarded on behalf of Ford Trucks as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Ford has supported the National FFA Foundation since the first F-Series truck was introduced in 1948, and has sponsored the Built Ford Tough collegiate scholarship program since 1997. To date, the program has awarded $7,115,000 in scholarships to 7,115 FFA members throughout the country. Ford knows the value of hard work, and believes that hard work should be rewarded. Educating aspiring young people to become the leaders of tomorrow is just another way of ensuring a successful future. For more information on the scholarship visit the National FFA Organization online (www.FFA.org), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nationalFFA), on Twitter (http://twitter.com/nationalFFA) and FFA Nation (http://FFAnation.FFA.org).

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 540,379 student members as part of 7,489 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online (www.FFA.org), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nationalFFA), on Twitter (http://twitter.com/nationalFFA) and FFA Nation (http://FFAnation.FFA.org).

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.