CARBONDALE – Southern Illinois University- Carbondale freshman Isaac Luebkemann traveled with the SIU Soil Judging Team to Bad Axe, Michigan, recently to compete in the Region 3 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest.
The event brought together students from eight colleges across Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Competing against top participants from all five states,
Luebkemann placed 20th overall and emerged as the highest-scoring student from Illinois. His strong performance earned him the Burton Ray Scholarship, funded by the Illinois Soil Classifiers Association—marking the first time in SIU history that a student has received this award.
Luebkemann, a Crop, Soil, and Environmental Management major with a concentration in soils, plans to use the scholarship to further his studies at SIU.
He hopes to pursue a career as an agronomist dedicated to helping farmers improve soil health and boost productivity.
Isaac resides on his family’s farm outside of Red Bud.