Local named as runner-up for Agriculture Student Scholarship

Great news came in Tuesday for a local student set for a future in the agriculture industry.

Emery Cholin from Kerrobert was one of three runners-up for the Agriculture Student Scholarship and will be receiving $2,000 ahead of a move to post-secondary school at the University of Saskatchewan this fall at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. 

The other runners-up are from Saskatoon and Val Marie, and the grand prize winner from Melfort was awarded $4,000 toward post-secondary studies.

"Education is key to success!" said the scholarship winning Caitlyn Spratt. "Winning this scholarship enables me to share the story of agriculture while furthering my education and pursuing a career in the industry I love."

Participants had the option of submitting either a creative three-minute video or 1,000-word essay on this year's topic of "Farming and the Environment". Tuesday's announcement shared that the federal and provincial agriculture ministers came together to award these scholarships to students from across the province pursuing a post-secondary education in agriculture.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau talked about how Canadian youth are the future of the sector, and that this program is an excellent way for students to pursue their studies. Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit took the angle of recognizing how passionate and well-versed youth in the province already are about agriculture and mentioned how it's important for the Ministry to effectively communicate to everyone the different career opportunities available within the industry.

"The Agriculture Student Scholarship is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada's agri-food and agri-products sectors." stated the government release about the Scholarship. "This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories."