Youth Scholarships

Jean Hough of Napanee is entering her second year of Honours Agriculture Science at the University of Guelph. She looks forward to continuing her learning through the diverse range of crop and animal science courses offered. Her goal is to become an agronomist who helps farmers produce high yielding and high quality crops.

As the ninth generation on her family’s grain farm, Jean has enjoyed working alongside her father and grandfather. Throughout the years, she has made many memories raising cattle, chickens and pigs, selling sweet corn, and helping at wheat harvest.

Jean has been involved in 4-H since she was 9 years old. She participated in many clubs such as the dairy, judging, and goat clubs. Her favourite is certainly the Goat Club. Over the past 3 years, Jean has taken on the role of being a senior leader in the Lennox and Addington Goat Club. At local fairs and the Royal Winter Fair, Jean enjoys showing her own herd of Nubians and connecting the public to agriculture. In addition to 4-H, Jean is actively involved in her church community. 

While in Guelph, Jean has enjoyed showing sheep and dairy in the 100th College Royal, attending the OAC Winter Games, and playing intramural volleyball. Jean is a Sponsorship Assistant on the 2025 OAC Winter Games Executive and looks forward to planning this year’s tournament.

My name is Justin Robinson.  I was raised on a 4th generation dairy farm near Osgoode, Ontario and I am going into my second year at the University of Guelph for Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics.

I was previously a member of several 4-H clubs within Carleton County. 4-H has been a fantastic way for me to further my knowledge in agriculture at a young age, from taking on the responsibilities that come with the dairy club, to learning important life skills from our cooking clubs. 4-H is also where my love for square dancing started. I have since been selected for a square-dancing set to represent my class at the University of Guelph College Royal Square-dancing competition. At the university, I am also the class sports representative, in charge of our class’s intramural teams for both fall and winter semesters.

I have been an employee with Byers Farm Equipment for several years, learning to install and repair various types of farm equipment.  This experience has shown me the vast diversity of the agriculture industry and I have a better understanding of what makes a farm operate smoothly.

My career goal is to increase my understanding of the economic side of farming and apply these concepts to problems within food production and agricultural policy.  Whether I become self-employed on the family farm or work for a company, I want to be involved with a profitable business that will contribute positively to the industry and our community.

My name is Hailey Smygwaty. This fall, I am entering my second year in the Horticulture Technician program at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology. My deep passion for plants and my family’s dairy farm inspired me to pursue this field of study. The program at Olds College provided me with a unique opportunity to learn about horticulture and agriculture in Western Canada. I developed a strong interest in agronomy, which led me to my summer job at Agriculture Canada in Ottawa, working on the spring wheat research team. While at college, I am a part of the Aggies club and the Red Angus Show and Judging club where I met and made friends with people across Canada and the world. I come from a second-generation dairy farm in Russell, Ontario where we focus on breeding high-type Holstein cows. 

After graduating from the Horticulture Technician program, I would like to pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science or a similar degree. Ultimately, I aim to establish a career in agronomy or another agricultural field while taking on a bigger role at my family’s dairy farm, focusing on show heifers and cows. I have been a member of Russell County 4-H for 8 years, completing over 15 projects. I have been part of various clubs including dairy, poultry, judging, and soils clubs, holding positions like president, vice president, secretary, and press reporter. I have participated in 4-H shows and open purebred shows with my 4-H calves, including the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Despite a busy schedule, I enjoy volunteering in my community, helping at events for the Russell Agricultural Society and representing my club at other agricultural events. In addition to 4-H, I also love playing broomball with Eastern Thunder, an all-girls juvenile team where I volunteer within the broomball community as well.

Through involvement in my community, I have experienced personal growth and development, thanks to the guidance of mentors and the support of my peers. I believe in giving back to my community by volunteering and participating in leadership opportunities. My connections with others have shaped me into who I am today, and I am grateful for the experiences and relationships that have contributed to my development.

My name is Kaylee Wells, and I am entering my second year of studies at the University of Guelph, in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Program. Through my post-secondary education, I plan to further my knowledge in the agricultural industry so I can make positive changes and help teach others about the importance of agriculture.

I was raised on my family farm near Jasper, Ontario where we run a Hereford Cow/Calf operation. Agriculture and Hereford cattle have always been a very important part of my life. I grew up helping on the farm where I have learned and continue to learn many great life skills. 

I am also actively involved in my local 4-H program where I have completed many clubs from life skills to livestock. To date I have completed 22 clubs and have been a member for 10 years. I am also a Junior 4-H leader, where I help younger members learn about agriculture and promote youth to be actively involved. Through 4-H I have had the opportunity to start my own Hereford Purebred herd by showing a registered Hereford heifer as my 4-H project animal each year.  Through this experience I have learned about the importance of raising cattle and I work towards improving my herd genetics each year. I also enjoy showing my cattle at local shows, and junior Hereford shows each year. 

At the University of Guelph, I am a part of the Beef, Dairy, Judging and Horse Club where I continue to expand my knowledge of agriculture and meet great people. I also participated in the beef, dairy and horse show at the College Royal, as an experienced member where I got the opportunity to teach others how to show livestock.

In the future my goals are to continue learning about all aspects of the agriculture industry and use my education to teach others about agriculture.