September 11, 2023
Mayville State University benefactor and Mayville, N.D. native Terry Bachmeier is sharing his family farming heritage by establishing the Bachmeier Family Agribusiness Scholarship. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist students pursuing the agribusiness bachelor’s degree at Mayville State. A total of $5,000 will be available in scholarship funding each year beginning with the fall semester of 2024.
Establishing a scholarship and endowment to support agribusiness students and in honor of his family was innate for Terry. The Bachmeier family has farming in the blood and even in the name. In German, the Bachmeier name translates to “farmer by the brook.” Terry’s parents, Thomas and Bernell Bachmeier, both grew up on farms and only left the farm when they went to college.
In his early years, Terry spent time on the farms of a cousin and of an uncle during the summer. Later, during his high school years, he was employed on various farms during the summer months. “It was a very valuable time of learning a variety of skills and getting to know what hard work is really like,” he remembers.
“Terry Bachmeier is a visionary who has a big heart for helping students in pursuit of their educational goals. While doing this, he is strengthening and supporting the university. He is truly a blessing to Mayville State and the Mayville State Family,” said Mayville State University President Dr. Brian Van Horn. “Terry is leading the way in assisting the agribusiness program at Mayville State. Agriculture is integral to all that happens in our region and state. Through the agribusiness program, Mayville State is helping to provide the workforce needed to support agriculture in our state, and because of his thoughtfulness and generosity, Terry Bachmeier is helping to move that important objective forward.”
Terry’s father, Tom, was a member of the education and psychology faculty at Mayville State University from 1959 to 1987. He was granted the distinction of Professor Emeritus of Education from Mayville State University in 1995. He passed away in 2002. Bernell was an active supporter of Mayville State, volunteering for various organizations that helped to provide scholarships and other assistance for the university while her husband worked as a faculty member. Bernell passed away in 2020.
Terry Bachmeier has created a philanthropic tradition to honor his parents and his family, and he has always stepped to the plate to help Mayville State University in any way he can. He has been an outstanding volunteer and a key supporter of the Traill County/MSU Luncheon held in Mesa, Ariz. each February. He has paid the way for students to attend various Mayville State events. Terry has spearheaded efforts to start several named scholarships at Mayville State as well. A leader by example, he became a member of the MSU Foundation Board of Trustees Executive Committee in July of 2011. He continues to be involved as a member at large.
Bachmeier is a benefactor who displays a truly unconditional, altruistic giving spirit. With his latest gift establishing the Bachmeier Family Agribusiness Scholarship Endowment, he surpasses the million-dollar mark in his cumulative lifetime financial support for Mayville State University and becomes the newest member of the MSU Foundation Honor Society Founder Club.
“Terry Bachmeier is unbelievably thoughtful and generous as he quietly helps Mayville State in so many ways, big and small,” said Dr. Lon Jorgensen, Executive Director of the MSU Foundation. “We are grateful beyond measure for his support for Mayville State’s agribusiness program and for all he continues to do. I encourage others to follow Terry’s lead and consider supporting this program or others at Mayville State.”
To find out more about supporting agribusiness and other programs at Mayville State, contact Dr. Lon Jorgensen at 701-788-4787 or lonny.jorgensen@mayvillestate.edu.
Mayville State’s agribusiness program provides coursework, career field experience, and a Bachelor of Science degree to prepare students for careers in agriculture and business-related fields. All members of today’s agribusiness industry, including farmers and ranchers, need to know more than how to provide for the world’s food supply from the land. The B.S. in agribusiness provides students with an enhanced skill set and expand their knowledge, allowing them to excel in all aspects of business related to farming, ranching, producing, and marketing of agricultural commodities. Students are prepared to work in sales, cooperatives, banking, finance, and other agribusiness fields. Courses leading to the degree are available on campus and at a distance for students who wish to continue their education from home.
To learn more about enrolling in the Mayville State agribusiness program or applying for the Bachmeier Family Agribusiness Scholarship, contact Mayville State’s Enrollment Center at 701-788-4842 or recruitment@mayvillestate.edu.