Entrance scholarships support Agricultural and Food Sciences students

Thanks to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences’ Centennial Entrance Scholarships, this year nine students from across Manitoba have been able to focus more on their studies and less on finances.

Created nearly 20 years ago in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Faculty, which was originally established in 1906 as the Manitoba Agricultural College, the Agricultural and Food Sciences Centennial Entrance Scholarships provide $2000 per recipient to help with tuition costs. This endowed scholarship was created with the support of alumni, faculty, agricultural industry and friends of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Province of Manitoba.

Eligible high school students must plan to enter either the Diploma in Agriculture or the Bachelor of Science degree program and write a short essay on how they plan to advance the agriculture and food industry.

Two recipients – Laura Delichte and Ava Dueck – followed different pathways to the Faculty but both have clear goals on how they will work in their chosen fields.

First-year Diploma in Agriculture student Laura Delichte is from a sixth-generation dairy and grain farm near Treherne, MB. She sees a need to connect farms with their finances, and she is focused on learning about agricultural finance and lending.

Watching her parents as they navigated a major renovation to their dairy barn gave Laura an appreciation for strategic decision-making. She saw first-hand how important financial management is to a farm operation’s success and its succession plan.

“Farms are businesses no matter their history, structure, or output. Guiding farmers to make the best decisions so that they can transfer their farm to the next generation is a way to create a stable industry. I want to help guide farmers so that they make the best decision for them, their family, and their farm,” she said.

Ava Dueck, a first year Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Animal Systems) degree student who hails from Winnipeg, MB, has her eyes on veterinary studies. Having been surrounded by animals most of her life, she said she has a strong passion for them including their care and welfare.

“When looking at the complex field of animal systems, I find there is infinite room for inquiry – from the intricate relationships within animal ecosystems to the nutritional and genetic areas,” she said.

After her degree at UM, Ava hopes to pursue large animal veterinary medicine and then return home and find work in a rural community.

“I want to assist farmers in ensuring the safety and wellness of their animals and provide optimal healthcare to the livestock of Manitoba”.

The 2024 Ag Centennial Scholarship recipients are:

• Laura Delichte, St. Alphonse, MB
• Ava Dueck, Winnipeg, MB
• Maria Gundrum, Swan Lake, MB
• Alara Krahn, Mather, MB
• Emilyn Nestibo, Deloraine, MB
• Molly Sanders, Morris, MB
• Kadyn Smart, Treherne, MB
• Serena Valdez-Soc, Winnipeg, MB
• Skylar Winters, Gladstone, MB

Applications for the 2025 Centennial Scholarships are open and are due on April 4, 2025.