Three southern Alberta students each receive $10,000 agricultural scholarships

ADAM FAST

Lethbridge’s Adam Fast is a first-year MSc student in Plant Science (Agronomy) at the University of Alberta, where he has achieved an overall GPA of 3.90. Fast’s thesis research focuses on using enhanced efficiency fertilizers to optimize spring wheat production.

He graduated from the University of Lethbridge in 2021 with a BSc in Agricultural Studies and attended Lethbridge College for his technical studies semester in 2019. At the college, he attained honours.

Fast told LNN, “it feels absolutely fantastic to get some local recognition from very reputable people and very reputable organizations.”

“It [receiving the scholarship] gives you motivation to keep going – continuing your studies or continuing to find your niche in the agriculture market in southern Alberta.”

The southern Albertan has worked in the agronomy program at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre for five summers while in university. As to what inspired him to apply for the scholarship in the first place, Fast said a main factor was “seeing that there were local southern Alberta organizations that were reinvesting in the future of the next generation of people in agriculture.”

“I consider myself to be one of those people and among very high-quality applicants who’ve applied for this scholarship throughout the years and it’s just great to see the community giving back to that.”

KELSEY GUBBINS

Kelsey Gubbins is a fourth-year student at the University of Lethbridge. She is working towards a Bachelor of Management, minoring in Accounting and Agricultural Enterprise Management.

Having grown up on a mixed farming operation in Rainier, Alberta, she has been involved with her community and various clubs and volunteering experiences over the years. Gubbins said being selected as a scholarship recipient is “an incredible opportunity”.

“I’ve been told that $10,000 for an ag scholarship is one of the biggest ones in Canada and North America and that just blows me away. Even to be selected as an interviewee, let along chosen as a recipient so [I’m] very thankful.”

Her future plans include working towards a Co-operative Education designation and furthering her education to offer expertise in agribusiness.

“I am hoping to do an independent study, kind of studying the different provinces’ agriculture and the different programs that they have.”

Eventually, Gubbins hopes to pursue a career in promoting agribusiness sustainability. Additionally, she is interested in becoming an environmental farm plan advisor.

DARRICK NICOL

Darrick Nicol was raised on a dairy farm near Coalhurst and is currently a student at Lakeland College, completing his second year of the Agriculture Science Technology Program, majoring in Dairy.

Nicol is the treasurer of the Dairy Club and is the finance coordinator for the Dairy Student-Managed Farm team. In 2020, he graduated from Lethbridge College with a diploma in Agricultural Sciences (plants and soils), where he received the Governor General’s Academic Medal.

Upon receiving the $10,000 scholarship, he said, “it’s a tremendous honour to be even considered for the interview for this scholarship, let alone actually being a recipient.”

“Just to be recognized by this community of southern Alberta, like with this banquet and stuff like that, to be recognized at this kind of event, it means a lot to me.”

Nicol is passionate about using soils to enhance the health of crops. He volunteered with the Classroom Agriculture Program at Lethbridge College, participated in AgENT and is a Certified Crop Advisor candidate.

Nicol said the scholarship will go a long way in furthering his schooling and eventual career.

“I think lifelong learning is something that’s really important. I think I’m gonna use this scholarship to help kind of pursue that, like I’m planning on attending the University of Lethbridge in the fall, so I think this will definitely help with that as well.”

WAYNE LINDWALL

Wayne Lindwall is the Chair of the Ag Scholarship Committee. He noted how impressed he was with the recipients’ passion and gave kudos to all students who applied for the bursary.

“I’m always inspired every year with the caliber of these kind of students and candidates.”

Lindwall told LNN that there were more than 15 qualified candidates for the 2022 scholarships, with some applications even coming in from the United States. He added that when he was growing up on the farm, “a lot of kids, they were anxious to get on to something else because it didn’t seem as exciting but what I’ve found [is] agriculture has changed so dramatically.”

Lindwall said now, technology plays such a big part in the agriculture sector.

He remarked, “agriculture now, it’s technology. It’s remote sensing, it’s automation, GPS, artificial intelligence. It’s not just putting a seed in the ground and hoping it’ll grow and praying for rain.”

“There’s a lot of technology and that’s what’s so exciting about agriculture – there’s so many careers associated with agriculture now, that’s what makes it a great opportunity for young candidates to get involved.”

by Justin Goulet

Three southern Alberta students each receive $10,000 agricultural scholarships

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