By Bryce Lewans, Public Trust Specialist, Communications Branch, Regina
The Agriculture Student Scholarship is awarded annually to recognize students who are emerging leaders in the agriculture industry. Over the past 14 years, $130,000 has been awarded to support students pursuing an agriculture-related post-secondary education. We caught up with a couple of winners from the inaugural 2011 cohort to see what they have been up to.
Erica Yaskowich (Kindersley, Sask.)
After receiving an Agriculture Student Scholarship in 2011, Erica Yaskowich earned an Animal Science Technology Diploma at Lakeland College in 2015. Currently, she is on the brink of earning her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree with a focus in agriculture biology, minoring in soils. She is also employed at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture as a Crops Extension Specialist where this knowledge is put to good use.
Erica's deep connection to her family farm fuels her commitment to agriculture, and she considers it not only a career but a way of life. “I am the fourth generation on the family farm, and I couldn’t see my life without the farm or anything to do with agriculture – so it’s very important to me.” Erica is fascinated with the phosphates that are within our soil and has ambitions of one day earning a Ph.D. in soil science. With a strong passion for her studies, Erica says she wants “to help make Saskatchewan agriculture the best that it can be.”
Reflecting upon her journey so far, Erica encourages future students to explore various paths before specializing, “you never know where you're going to end up. You don't need to make a choice right away for where you want to specialize. But if you find a class or two that you like, in university, and it seems to click, go for it. It wasn't until I sat down in a few soil science classes that I realized that was where I was going to be.”
Traci Henderson (Maple Creek, Sask.)
For Traci Henderson, 2011 scholarship recipient, agriculture isn't just a job, but an integral part of her life intertwined with family and community. Traci first enrolled in the Animal Science Program at the University of Saskatchewan before completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. Now as a practicing mixed animal veterinarian, her focus on bovine medicine is driven by a desire to assist producers. “[I] was raised in agriculture in rural Saskatchewan, so that’s what drove me to pursue a career that would allow me to continue on in that industry,” said Traci.
Traci is an advocate for bridging the gap between the public and agriculture. “I try with my work, and with who I run into, to promote what we do here to allow people to see that [the agriculture industry] is not that scary.”
Traci also emphasizes the profound impact of the connections she made during her educational journey. These enduring relationships with peers, mentors, and industry experts have become invaluable resources in her daily work. “I'm still very good friends with a lot of those that I went to ag school with and it's kind of neat watching them go out and pursue their careers in this industry as well,” remarked Traci. “Having them to rely on is a big part of what I found most beneficial to my education.”
2024 Agriculture Student Scholarship
The 2024 Agriculture Student Scholarship is currently accepting applications. The scholarship is open to Saskatchewan Grade 12 students and recent high school/GED graduates (within the last two years). The grand prize scholarship recently increased to $6,000, and there are also three runner-up scholarships of $3,000 each. To apply for the scholarship, applicants must submit a three-minute video or 1,000-word essay on farming and environmental sustainability. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be planning to take an agriculture-related post-secondary education program beginning in the fall of 2024. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2024. Students can apply online.