Dakoda Maguire named 2025 Robert M. Harrison Leadership Award recipient

Dakoda Maguire, a senior in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Robert M. Harrison Leadership Award.

The Harrison Leadership Award is presented to an outstanding junior in the College of ACES who has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership, service, and achievement across a diversity of experiences. The award honors the legacy of Robert M. Harrison, whose life and career reflected a deep belief in education, service, and lifelong learning.

Maguire is in the Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications Program concentrating in education. She has been actively involved in leadership roles across the college and campus, including the ACES Student Leadership Council, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and Agricultural Education Club and Alpha Tau Alpha. She is also an ALEC Ambassador. Her engagement also extends beyond campus through work with youth Illinois FFA and Effingham County Farm Bureau Young Leaders. 

In addition to her leadership and service, Maguire has gained hands-on professional experience through the Collegiate Livestock Judging Team and internships with ACES Career Services and the horticulture education program. 

The Hugh P. Morrison Award is funded in honor and memory of its namesake, former president of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. This scholarship is awarded annually to students with senior standing in an agricultural program who demonstrate substantial academic achievement, leadership, and a strong overall commitment to the field of agriculture. Eligible juniors are invited to apply in the spring of their junior year.