2025 Winners

Karlee Jane Rodgers is the top girl recipient of the Titus County Fair Association’s Scholarship of $5000. Karlee is the daughter of Scott and Lyndee Rodgers and is a Senior at Mt. Pleasant High School, ranking 35 out of 390 in the 2026 graduating class. She works with her family in their Weed Spraying, Manure Spreading and Custom Hay business. Karlee is strong in her faith and considers it a privilege to lead others to the Lord. She enjoys fishing, reading and playing with her Australian Shepherd, Merle. Karlee is a dual credit high school and NTCC college student, a starting varsity player on the Lady Tigers Basketball Team, serves as Treasurer of Student Council, a member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She has been a very active member of the Titus County 4-H Club since 2020 where she currently serves as Secretary and has competed in many activities where she won reserve last year in 6 classes at the state level of the State 4-H Photography Contest.

She started out in Jr. FFA at Chapel Hill I.S.D. exhibiting Market Lambs, Market Goats and Market Hogs at the Titus county Fair, as well as competing in Public Speaking. She then transitioned to Chapel Hill FFA for her freshman and sophmore years, where she was very active showing animals at our fair, as well as all major shows She is now a member of the Mt. Pleasant FFA where she plans to show two Market Lambs and two Breeding Sheep from her own herd of breeding sheep that she manages on the family farm. She will also participate in Education Day to finish out her school years at the Titus County Fair.

Upon graduation she plans to attend Texas A&M University in College Station majoring in Pre-Med Biology for undergrad studies and then apply for Texas A&M College of Veterinary Science to hopefully become a large animal Veterinarian, serving in a small community.

Gunner Michael Rodgers is the top young man recipient of this year’s $5000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. He is the son of Scott and Lyndee Rodgers. Gunner works on his family’s farm where they do custom hay work, spraying weeds and spreading chicken litter. If this all sounds familiar, it is because his twin sister, Karlee, is the other $5,000 scholarship winner.

Gunner states that he has been heavily involved in the FFA since 3^rd grade when he began showing as a Jr. FFA member at the Titus County Fair. He is currently the Area VI FFA President and VP of the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter. He has held the office of Paris District FFA President and a Texas State FFA Ambassador in 2024. He has received all the FFA Awards he can receive locally and was selected by his peers for the “All Around Award” for Leadership and Agriculture production. As Area and District President, he has been in charge of planning, organizing and executing the leadership conferences and camps for the Area and District. He also has been a member of the state-qualifying Livestock Judging team for 3 years and hoping to make it 4 this year. After having served on the Texas State FFA Officer interview committee, he will be attending the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in a few weeks, where he will serve on a National FFA committee while at the convention.

Gunner has been a volunteer at the Ministering our Military/Carry the Load Rally from 2015-2024. In 2021-2022, he was the winner of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Chapter Essay writing contest. He is also heavily involved in Titus County 4-H. While judging livestock in 4-H, he has competed at all the major livestock shows in Texas and has qualified for the Texas state 4-H Roundup in Livestock Judging twice. In 4-H, he has served as Vice President, President Parliamentarian and again as President. When he became a member, there were 5 active members, but after being elected President in 2023, he made it his goal to increase membership. It has now grown by over 200% in just 3 years and community presence has grown significantly. 4-H made him a Texas Youth Livestock Ambassador, where he has lobbied to protect Agriculture at the State Capital and was most recently invited to attend a 2-week trip to Japan, where he studied international agriculture. His most recent honor was being selected as a Titus County Fair Junior Ambassador, where he goes to various civic meetings to speak on behalf of the Titus County Fair.

When he finds some rare spare time, Gunner likes to work on restoring a 1980 Chevrolet truck and fish since he is on the Mt. Pleasant High School Fishing Team.

Gunner has and will continue to show Market Hogs and Breading Guilts at the major livestock shows.

Gunner has participated in the Titus County Fair since third grade with Market Hogs, Breeding Gilts, Market Lambs & Breeding Sheep; receiving Grand & Reserve Champ Market Hogs 2 & 3 times, Grand Champion Breeding Gilt, Sr. & Jr. Hog Showmanship 4 and 2 times respectively. He participated in Ag Mechanics with a Duck Blind last year, and has participated in Education Day 3 times. He plans to once again show 2 Market Hogs and 3 Breeding Gilts as well as Livestock Judging Contest and Education Day at this year’s Titus County Fair, where he hopes to take home the Supreme Showman Award also.

Gunner’s future plans include being elected as Texas State FFA President and hopefully receive his American FFA Farmer degree. His career plans are to become an Agricultural Lobbyist. To do that he plans to attend Texas A&M for an undergrad degree in political science with a minor in Ag Communications, then attend law school also at Texas A&M.

Ava True Fite is the recipient of a $3000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. Ava is the daughter of George Keres Fite and Katie Anderson Fite and is a Senior at Mt. Pleasant High School, where she is ranked 16^th out of 390 in her 2026 graduating class.

Ava has had Fair participation in Horticulture, Food Preservation, 1^st place in the Poster Contest in 2013 & 2014, Academic Rodeo-Science Fair in 2013, Academic Rodeo-Speech Contest in 2014 & 2015; Sewing Project-2018 and exhibited Broilers in 2017 & 2018 making the sale both years. She states that each event taught her so much and has fond memories of canning foods with her mom to growing and entering vegetables with her family or preparing for the Academic Rodeo or raising broilers.

As a student at Mt. Pleasant High School, she was a member of the Swim Team in individual and team events, being named Academic All State her Junior year. She has been a member of the MPHS Cheer Team the past four years and named as All American Cheerleader and invited to be a part of the UCA staff. Other organizations at school include National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, and MP Health Science Program where she has been able to shadow the best Physicians and healthcare providers at TRMC, which will help her in her chosen career in healthcare. As a result of her faithfulness to the Dual Language Program through high School, she is now fluent in Spanish and will graduate with an endorsement in Bilingualism and Biliteracy.

Ava is a member of First Baptist Church and has served through Love Thy Neighbor service days, nursery volunteer and helping with the Awanas program. She is faithful to her Sunday School Class and FBC Youth group. She has also been fortunate to volunteer at Titus County Cares food pantry, serving at the SAFE-T shelter as a local elementary school mentor and a translator at TRMC. She also works part-time at Ruby and Begonia Apothecary Boutique.

Upon graduation she plans to attend Texas A&M University, pursuing a degree in Nutritional Science-Human Health. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she plans to continue her education by attending Physician Assistant school at Baylor College of Medicine, specializing in Obstetrics or Pediatrics as a bilingual practitioner.

Evelyn Jazmin Hernandez is receiving a $3000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. She is the daughter of Erick Hernandez and Enid Villegas, and is ranked 13^th in her 2026 graduating class at Mt. Pleasant High School. Evelyn is a member of UIL Journalism and Read Writing Team, National Honor Society; is Secretary of the Student Council and Vice President of the Future Business Leaders of America. She was Class Treasurer her Sophmore and Junior years. She is in the Work4College program; is a Chick-fil-A Academy Leader, and has been chosen as the Rotary Club Student of the Month for October.

Evelyn’s fair participation began in the Academic Rodeo Speech Competition in 2^nd trhu 4^th grade, placed 1^st in the Titus County Fair’s Art Competition in 5^th Grade, and has participated in the fair’s Art Competition every year since 7^th grade, placing 2^nd in 9^th and 10^th grades and Honorable Mention in 11^th grade.

This year she plans to enter a watercolor painting in the Fine Arts Category at this year’s fair.

Evelyn worked as a Receptionist at NTCC for the summer of 2024 and was employed at the NTCC Bookstore for the Summer of 2025. She worked as a waitress between those two jobs.

In her free time, she likes to sit down with a cup of tea and create, maybe a painting, video or a poster for her room. Her dream job is to become a creative director of a media company

Her main goal is to attend the University of Texas at Austin-Moody College of Communications and pursue a degree in Advertising.

Jaydy Michelle Martinez is the recipient of a $3000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. She is the daughter of Alvaro Martinez and Dora Paredes and ranked 9^th in her 2026 Mt. Pleasant High School graduating class.

She is in the National Honor Society, Student Council, and has been active in Health Occupations Students of America since 9^th grade; President of HOSA, Dual Credit Student at NTCC, EKG certification through NHA at MPISD; currently taking classes to receive a Medical Assistant certification at NTCC for NHA.

Jaydy is active with community food drives, volunteered to do face painting and murals at Harts Bluff School and Titus County Fair, created Christmas Cards and Paper lanterns for Nursing Homes and Special Needs Christmas events.

Fair participation includes Fine Arts:
8^th grade 2021-2^nd place-Watercolor

9^th grade 2022-1^st place-Watercolor

10^thgrade 2023-Best of Class-Acrylic

11^thgrade 2024-1^st place-Pen Section

Hobbies and interests: Playing piano

Passionate about art…painting & drawing portraits

Plans to attend NTCC for an associates in nursing then transfer to Stephen F Austin for a Bachelors in Nursing.

Skye Leann Klepzig is the recipient of a $3000 Titus County Fair Scholarship. She is the daughter of Dr. Dale and Jill Klepzig. Skye is ranked 2^nd out of 72 in her 2026 graduating class at Chapel Hill High School.

She has been very active in FFA all throughout high school. She went to Greenhand Camp her Freshman year along with many competitions, career development events and took a pen of steers to Houston Livestock Show where two Graded Choice. Her Sophomore year she was elected as Chapel Hill FFA Reporter and went to Career and Leadership Events. She also took another pen of steers to Houston with 2 Grading Choice again. Her Junior year, she was elected Chapter President and Area VI Vice President; attended more Leadership and Career Event and Facilitated a Leadership Camp. She took another pen of 3 steers to Houston Livestock Show and all 3 Graded Choice, and entered an AG Mechanics Project in the Titus County Fair. This year is just getting started, but she’s working on another Ag Mechanics project for the Fair. She’s also in Future Business Leaders of America, where she was a State Qualifier for Intro to Business Presentation her Freshman year and State qualifier for AgBusiness her Sophomore and Junior year. She is also Secretary of the National Honor Society. She was a UIL Area Qualifier in Number Sense the last 3 years and Area Qualifier in Mathematics; Calculator Applications and Science the last 2 years. She is in IDEA/Gifted and Talented Program and was Inducted into the Chapel Hill NHS last year. Her Honors consist of: Freshman-Star Greenhand Award & Honors Geometry Award-Academic Blanket. Sophomore-Cloud Nine Award-Chapel Hill FFA, Honors Algebra 2-Academic Blanket and Junior-Awarded Lonestar Degree.

Skye’s organizations, activities & honors include: Mt. Pleasant Community Orchestra, Chapel Hill Community Children Volunteer, Veterans Day Program Volunteer, Angel Tree Project Contributer, Titus County Assisted Living Center Volunteer, Gift Cards for CASA, Carter Blood Drive, Senior Citizen Luncheon Volunteer, Salvation Army Volunteer, Wreaths Across America, Hospice Ball Committee, Titus County Cares Produce Drop Volunteer and Kerr County Gift Card Donor.

Her Fair Participation includes: Academic Rodeo Math Team 2014-2018; First Place in Fine Arts 2014-2019 & 2021; Academic Rodeo-Science Fair 2015 & Essay Contest-2019; Food Preservation-Sweepstakes-2021; Ag Mechanics-Grand Champion-2024.

Skye plans to enter an Ag Mechanics Project in this year’s Fair.

She has worked at her Dad’s Clinic, NE Texas General Surgery at TRMC for the past 4 years, works on her family farm everyday and is a ranch hand for other community members, when needed.

She loves traveling, baking, sewing, music and scuba diving.

She plans to attend Oklahoma State University after graduation, majoring in Architecture…which was first sparked by the building of her first Ag Mechanic’s project…when she was awarded Grand Champion!