Rotary Club of Lethbridge East opens applications for 2023 $10,000 Ag Scholarship Program

Rotary Club member and Chair of the scholarship adjudication committee, Wayne Lindwall said the plan is to distribute two awards in 2023.

Lindwall said although post-secondary education can cost more than $10,000, the scholarship can go a long way for successful applicants in their learning.

He told LNN, “Many of these students, by the time they graduate, they have student loans of $30,000 or $40,000, so we knew that if we could offer a $10,000 scholarship, that would cover at least their tuition [and] might allow them to attend international meetings or conferences that they wouldn’t normally be able to attend, and take some of the pressure off their parents’ finances as well as their own.”

WORKING WITH STUDENTS

Lindwall noted that the Rotary Club strives to help students, even those who apply for the scholarship but do not receive it. He described the initiative as a “career development program.”

Lindwall said, “We follow up with even the unsuccessful applicants by offering them suggestions of how, if they wanted to go for interviews in the future or re-apply in the future if they’re still eligible, how they might improve.”

He added, “We’re supporting them to be affective advocates of agriculture, affective leaders in the community and all of the past winners have gotten jobs in the agricultural industry in the area, so it benefits all of us, you know, by supporting these scholars and that’s what we’re so proud of.”

Lindwall noted that Adam Fast, one of the recipients of the 2022 scholarship, is still involved with the program and is serving on its committee for 2023.

A formal awards dinner will be held on March 2, 2023, at the Coast Lethbridge Hotel and Conference Centre, with Chris Koch delivering a keynote speech.

In the past, Lindwall said the scholarship program was a partnership between the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East and the Lethbridge & District Exhibition. Prior to the planned 2023 dinner, the celebratory event was held at Heritage Hall on the grounds of Exhibition Park.

Lindwall explained that due to the ongoing construction of the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre at Exhibition Park, the committee “decided this year to pursue the effort independently.”

He did give thanks to Lethbridge & District Exhibition, noting that the organization has played an important role in the scholarship program since its debut in 2019. The scholarship committee will still work alongside Exhibition Park, with the dinner being held in conjunction with next year’s Ag Expo.

Applications for the $10,000 Agricultural Scholarship Program must be submitted by January 31, 2023.

The application form can be found on the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East website.

Read more Lethbridge News Now.

by Justin Goulet

Rotary Club of Lethbridge East opens applications for 2023 $10,000 Ag Scholarship Program

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