WestGen is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 WestGen Education Awards. Each of these selected students will receive $2,000 to assist them with their post-secondary agriculture studies. The selection committee was extremely pleased with the quality of applicants this year, and encourages remaining applicantsto apply again next year if they remain in a qualifying post-secondary educational endeavor. Here is a brief synopsis of our 2017 winners:
Angela Grob of Quesnel, British Columbia is in her 1st year of studies at the University of Saskatchewan in the Bachelor of Animal Science program. She has been active in her families mixed operation farm of dairy, cow-calf and farrow-finish
swine. Angela’s goal is to enter the Veterinary Medicine program and focus her studies on production animals including dairy and beef cattle.
Lars Iversen of Olds, Alberta is in his 3rd year of studies in the Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness program at the University of Saskatchewan. Lars in interested is passionate of milking functional and well pedigreed animals. He as an interest in the economics and business side of agricultural and hopes to bring these skills back to his family dairy farm once her finishes his studies.
Nicki Meier of Abbotsford, British Columbia is a 1st year student in the Animal Science Technology program at Lakeland College. Growing up her parent’s dairy farm, gave her a love of the dairy industry at a young age. Nicki has been a long-time member of the Sumas Holstein Club and will be joining the Student Managed Farm team next year. Nicki is looking forward to returning to her family’s operation with her new knowledge once she has completed her studies and creating a more efficient dairy operation.
Rachel Boonstoppel of Grunthal, Manitoba is a 2nd year Animal Science Technology student at Lakeland College. Angela is planning on expanding her dairy studies with an Ag-Business Diploma once she has completed this program. She is looking forward to a work-study tour of New Zealand before she returns to her family’s herd where she will work to improve the genetics of their dairy. Her goal is to own her own dairy farm in the future.
WestGen is extremely proud of all four winners of this award. Supporting youth and the development of the Western Canadian cattle industry are mandates of the WestGen Endowment Fund, and the Education awards are a means by which to ensure the future caliber of our western Canadian bovine sector remains strong. We will follow with pride their growth and development in the future.
About WestGen
WestGen has been in business for 73 years and is Western Canada’s Leader in Genetics and Reproduction. Their new Abbotsford location serves as home for both their members, and their growing subsidiary companies: Cryogen Liquid Nitrogen Solutions and Boviteq West. To learn more visit Westgen or call us at 604.426.1944.