The Sheila Stephen Memorial Scholarship

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Congratulations to Hannah Nikkel

Hannah is attending the University of Alberta and is working towards her Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences majoring in Conservation Biology.

She says "I believe that animal agriculture can be used as a tool for conservation and I want a career where I can make that happen. By using animals, such as sheep and cattle, farmers can restore the native prairie grasslands, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, and in turn restore habitat for small wildlife and increase biodiversity. With the right pasture management, biodiversity can drastically improve soil health and in turn increase the soil capacity for carbon sequestration. Carbon is one of the biggest accelerators of climate change and if we can use agriculture to remove carbon from the atmosphere, the positive effects would be major. There is so much potential for overlap between farming and conservation that would benefit both of these fields, and I want a career where I can work with farmers to make that happen."

Congratulations to Mia Westergaard 

Mia is currently enrolled at The Kings University College where she is studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a minor in Kinesiology.

She has  solely grown her purebred North Country Cheviot Flock and wants to continue promoting youth involvement in the sheep industry. In the future she will continue to promote agriculture and sheep through teaching.

Congratulations to  Alexandria Stein

Alexandria is currently enrolled at the University of Alberta where she is studying for her Bachelor of Science with a major in Neuroscience. 

Alexandria says " I grew up in rural Alberta, and have spent my entire life around agriculture and livestock, and I especially enjoy being involved with sheep. Because of my love for my community, and my hopes to one day do some farming of my own, the choice to take neuroscience might not be especially obvious. I chose this field, not only because of my interest in the psychological sciences, but also because of the increasing mental health concerns arising in farming communities. The Centre for Sucide Prevention lists a number of factors which correlate an occupation with higher suicide rates. Some of these factors include high workplace stress, low wages, job insecurity/inconsistent work schedules, easy access to lethal means, and isolation, all of which typically applies to farmers. There are also concerns that farmers may be reluctant to reach out for mental health support due to stigma, or be unable to access support in remote rural environments. It is my hope to serve the agricultural community through a career in psychology, and I hope that my lived experience within agriculture will give me a deeper perspective on what approaches would work best to reach the people that need mental health support the most. "

Congratulations to Rebekah Nikkel

After completing my post-secondary education, I hope to become a lawyer whose main focus revolves around agriculture and differ levels within the food production industry. As well as practicing law, I hope to work in policy and sociology research field that relates to agriculture and connected industries. Prior to attending law school, I will pursue a master’s in economics, focusing on externalities placed on producers through industry commodity chains. I would like to focus my future master thesis on the change from Alberta being a large lambing producing province to the smaller flock numbers seen today. 

My approach will be how this change in numbers coincided with the move towards a monopolized or singular packing plant industry. For my future education and career goals, I would like to apply the life experience that I have collected through being raised on and an active participant on my family’s farm, to policy, law, and research that will help address areas that negatively affect producers and will allow for greater opportunity of individual and industry growth, trade, and stronger political representation. ~ Rebekah

Congratulations to Abigail Nikkel

I have always taken pride in being a part of the agriculture industry.  From the beginning farming has been my passion and I have spent much time learning and improving skills.  

Whether the skills be in soil health or livestock evaluation, I am committed to furthering my understanding of agriculture.  

My time on the ASBA board has demonstrated to me how important it is to have passionate, well informed, and hard-working people involved in the agriculture industry.  

Working with induvials like this has inspired me to set myself up to be that type of person.  For me, the first step to achieving this is through education.  I am currently a fulltime student at NAIT, enrolled in Business Administration.  My goal is to finish my diploma program and continue NAIT’s degree program in Business Administration with a focus in management.  This program is very important to me, as it will be an asset in all future endeavors, including agriculture.  

       In the future I see myself continuing as a sheep breeder.  One of my goals is to manage 

sheep in a way that benefits the environment.  As a small ruminant, sheep have a mostly untapped ability to improve soil health and sequester carbon.  I want to explore and take advantage of this opportunity and to help promote those benefits and inform consumers about the positive side of agriculture, especially regarding the meat industry.  I will promote the industry by staying active in agricultural organizations.  

Receiving the Sheila Stephen Memorial Scholarship would help me in my lifelong learning endeavours. ~ Abby

Congratulations to Garret Crawford  

"My name is Garret Crawford, I grew up in the town of Didsbury but we farm west of Carstairs. We have a mixed farming operation consisting of cattle and sheep. My mom has purebred Charollais sheep and a commercial flock and I have my own purebred Romanov flock of sheep. I have been active in 4-H for 10 years, where I’ve shown cattle and sheep. My real passion is with the sheep and I really enjoyed showing the sheep at the 2017 Canadian Sheep Classic for my family and Half Diamond Farms. I’m presently attending college out at Three Hills Alberta where I’m taking the EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) program. I would like to thank the ASBA for picking me to receive this scholarship which will help me accomplish my schooling."    Garret