Thought L.E.A.D.ers:

Catching Up with the 2022 L.E.A.D. Scholarship Recipients

Annually, 4-H Canada recognizes four outstanding youth members who have become exceptional leaders through their 4-H experience and who share the best of themselves with their community. The Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (L.E.A.D.), sponsored by CN, include a four-year scholarship, mentorship from an expert in the recipient’s field of interest, and the opportunity to be a L.E.A.D. spokesperson. One recipient is selected for each of 4-H Canada’s Leadership Development pillars.

With their first full year of studies as L.E.A.D. scholars under their belt, we caught up with the 2022 L.E.A.D. scholarship recipients to find out what is top of their mind and what their experiences have been like to date.

4-H: What do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing youth today?

Ava: I believe one of the most important issues facing youth today is finding opportunities to become involved, volunteer, be leaders, and find the support to do so. 4-H is an amazing program that helps solve this issue. My hope is that more youth will become involved in the program and get to experience how 4-H makes a huge impact on your life, as it has mine!

4-H: Who do you look up to most and why?

Ava: There are many people in my life that I look up to: my parents for their hard work and encouragement, my 4-H leaders for inspiring me to volunteer and the opportunities they have provided me with, and other leaders within my community who have inspired me to be the best version of myself.

4-H: One year into your studies as a L.E.A.D. scholar, what would you say has been the best part of being a L.E.A.D. recipient?

Ava: Part of being a L.E.A.D. recipient is feeling the responsibility of living up to what it meant to earn that scholarship in the first place. It is an incredible honour to be a L.E.A.D. recipient and I think about it each day as I strive to do my best. It inspires me to continue volunteering and being in leadership positions.

4-H: What was the best 4-H experience or opportunity you have had?

Aidan: My best 4-H experience was probably when I assisted the judges at the Albert County Fair a few years ago. My local 4-H club leader, who was one of the judges, had broken their ankle and couldn’t walk at all. I stepped up and did most of the physical tasks that she would normally do. I helped the other kids in our club get their horses saddled up, helped the younger and inexperienced members guide their horses to where they need to be, and even assisted my club leader judge a couple of times. It was hard but valuable work that taught me what it really meant to be in a leadership role.

4-H: What do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing youth today?

Aidan: One of the biggest concerns facing our youth is climate change. Over the last few years, we have seen more hurricanes and heat waves more consistently than ever before. Climate change is especially problematic for our youth, since we will be the ones who will have to deal with the consequences of permanent climate change if the current generation fails to do what needs to be done to counteract it.

4-H: Who do you look up to most, and why?

Aidan: I probably look up to my dad the most. His path through life and university is very similar to my own experiences, so not only do I have someone who can relate to my struggles and experiences, but his success in his career gives me the hope and motivation needed to cultivate my own success.

4-H: What was the best 4-H experience or opportunity you have had?

Elena: Participating in 4-H public speaking competitions was both the most powerful and memorable part of my 4-H experience. It transformed me from a little girl, too shy to raise her hand in club meetings to the person I am today, confident and outgoing. I also met so many amazing people at the competitions (especially when competing at a provincial level), which made the experience even more memorable.

4-H: What is a pressing issue in your community and how are you helping to solve it?

Elena: Growing up on my family’s farm, I took composting for granted. When I moved to Montréal for university, I was shocked by the lack of awareness and knowledge about proper composting and recycling. One of the main issues is contamination in bins, which essentially causes countless bins of compost and recycling to end up in the landfill.

As a Zero-Waste Ambassador through McGill’s Office of Sustainability, I helped promote smart and environmentally friendly zero-waste habits around campus. I dedicated several hours each week to answering student’s questions about waste and promoting other sustainability initiatives, such as the Cano reusable container program. I did this by going around to each table in the dining hall on campus. In addition to this, I also volunteered at sustainability-oriented events around campus, worked with McGill officials to come up with sustainable solutions, and organized sustainability focus groups. I also joined various councils and pitched the idea of an in-residence composting program, which will be initiated next year.

4-H: Who do you look up to most, and why?

Elena: This has got to be my grandma, Joanne. She is an absolute icon who started an environmental non-profit, runs our organic blueberry farm, and is an incredible writer - yet is so humble about all her outstanding achievements. A little eccentric sometimes, maybe, but one of the kindest and most thoughtful people you will ever meet. The fact that she stands up for what she believes in and protects what she cares about, regardless of what others think, is so inspiring.

4-H: What do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing youth today?

Kate: I think information overload is a huge issue for today’s youth. Today’s youth have access to so much information at their fingertips and are constantly met with new information at an alarming rate. It can be difficult to know what to believe and which information is more important. This can be a catalyst for other issues that youth face, such as stress and anxiety. Reading that the world is going to end one day, and hearing that everything is completely fine the next takes a toll on youth’s mental health. This is especially difficult when there is pressure on youth to be changemakers.

4-H: The L.E.A.D. award recognizes community service. What is a pressing issue in your community and what are you doing/want to do to help solve it?

Kate: A pressing issue that is common in many rural agricultural communities is population decline. I have seen this firsthand in my community. Despite those who work hard to keep rural communities alive, it is difficult without people. The food system has a large impact on this as its current structure does not support the well-being of rural communities. Our current food system lacks the ability to provide equity, nutrition, and sustainability. My goal is to make changes in the food system that have ripple effects that regenerate our dying communities.

4-H: What are your career and personal goals? How do you think your L.E.A.D. scholarship will support these goals?

Kate: My career goals are very much focused on sustainable agriculture and food security. I want to create change in our food system, to help support a more resilient environment and healthier people. This is a very big and broad goal, one which I have no idea how to tackle yet. This is where the L.E.A.D. scholarship comes into play. Education is something that is going to be very useful to me as I explore ways of achieving my goals and the L.E.A.D scholarship makes getting a good education possible. By receiving the L.E.A.D scholarship, this also means that we are paired with a mentor. It is extremely valuable to be able to gain insight from someone who has experience and expertise in the agricultural industry. Having Chantelle Donahue, my mentor, provide me with guidance is going to be helpful in allowing me to achieve my goals in the future.