Sixty first-year college / university students had a little more hop in their step and $1,500 in their pockets as they headed back to school.
Oksana Iwanchysko from Dauphin, Manitoba, was one recipient of the 2020 Bayer Fund Opportunity Scholarship, who was selected based on her demonstrated academic achievement and leadership within her school and community. Like her fellow winners, she’s pursuing post-secondary education in agriculture and food-related disciplines.
“Being awarded the 2020 scholarship from Bayer truly means a lot to me and will help with my success during my undergraduate degree,” said Iwanchysko, who is studying agricultural sciences at the University of Manitoba. “I was thrilled to be chosen as a recipient of the Bayer Fund Opportunity Scholarship.”
Scholarship winners required a nomination from a farmer or food professional and wrote a short essay outlining the role they envision themselves playing in advancing Canadian agriculture in a sustainable way.
“Bayer has a strong commitment to agricultural communities, youth and developing future leaders in Canadian agriculture,” said Trish Jordan, senior business partner, government & industry affairs with Bayer Crop Science Canada. “For Canadian agriculture to continue to prosper and contribute positively to the Canadian economy, we need highly-educated and skilled young people to join our industry.”
This year’s scholarship winners—who come from both rural and urban regions across the country—have a wide variety of interests as they look to a future in Canadian agriculture and food. Some plan to return to the family farm after earning their degrees, while others are interested in careers as agronomists, plant breeders, veterinarians, marketers, salespeople, finance professionals, dietitians and chefs.
The 2020 Bayer Opportunity Scholarship Program was administered by Universities Canada’s Scholarship Partners Canada—the leading Canadian service provider in the field of scholarship management.
Thousands of deserving students have received over $2 million in scholarship funding since the Bayer Fund Opportunity Scholarship program was first introduced in Canada in 1991.
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