ROCKWOOD, ONT. (November 18, 2021) – 4-H Ontario is pleased to announce that Mary Brander has been awarded the 2021 Bertram and Hazel Stewart 4-H Dairy Youth Education Award and Bursary. The award and bursary honours the late Bertram and Hazel Stewart’s deep commitment and passion toward agriculture, education, and 4-H.
“Thank you so much to the Stewart family and everyone who made this award possible, and I am very honoured and excited to win this award,” says Mary Brander, winner of the 2021 Bertram and Hazel Stewart 4-H Dairy Youth Education Award and Bursary. Mary credits 4-H for teaching her many skills related to both agriculture and life. She also feels that being part of 4-H has given her many wonderful experiences and lifelong friends.
Mary has been involved in 4-H since 2013 and has completed 56 clubs, including seven dairy clubs and various 4-H judging competitions. She has participated in many calf shows and has competed at both the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the World Dairy Expo. Mary is also an active volunteer in her community and helps with the Rockwood Parade of Lights, an event her family hosts each year.
“The decision to invest into this legacy was a simple one for our Mom and Dad,” says Kelly French, Award Committee Chair and daughter of Bertram and Hazel Stewart. “Our Mom, Hazel, was an educator, a school teacher and a 4-H leader. Dad, Bertram Stewart, had a great passion for agriculture. Years of travelling the world [and] sharing his knowledge of the dairy cow never stopped him from taking an active role in promoting, leading, coaching and developing many of the events and 4-H programs. This scholarship blended the best parts of our parents; education, agriculture and 4-H.”
The award and bursary of $1,000 is awarded annually by the selection committee to an eligible 4-H Ontario Dairy Club participant to support their post-secondary education. The bursary is awarded to the winner upon completion of their first year of post-secondary education and continuous involvement in a 4-H dairy club.
To be eligible for the award, applicants must have participated in the 4-H Ontario Dairy Club for a minimum of three years and be in good standing as a current 4-H Dairy Club Participant in the year of application. Applicants must be enrolled in grade 9, 10 or 11 and have expressed an interest in pursuing post-secondary education.
The bursary is made possible through the Stewart family’s investment in an endowment fund held and managed by the Ontario 4-H Foundation.
A virtual ceremony was held on October 29 to celebrate Mary, as well as Raechel Charleton and Morgan Anderson, previous award winners who have become eligible for their bursary funds. The virtual ceremony can be watched on the 4-H Ontario Facebook page here.
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About 4-H Ontario
4-H Ontario is a non-profit positive youth development organization that builds youth as leaders within their communities and assets to the world. With roots in rural Ontario, today it is open to youth of all backgrounds across the province. 4-H youth ages 6–21 and screened, engaged volunteer leaders come together to learn about selected topics through fun hands-on activities and mentorship. There are also provincial camps, conferences, competitions, and national and international travel opportunities available to further develop skills in leadership, business, self-confidence and more. 4-H provides youth with a place they can be involved, accepted, valued and heard while developing valuable skills for leadership and life.
For more information, please contact:
Laura Goulding, Manager, Communications, 4-H Ontario
519.803.5026, communications@4-hontario.ca