4-H Alberta establishes new scholarship

May 06, 2021

The Marilyn Sharp 4-H Scholarship will be awarded based on academic achievement

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Alberta 4-H has created a new scholarship in honour of one of its long-time members.

The Marilyn Sharp 4-H Scholarship will be awarded for the first time this fall to 4-H members entering their second year of post-secondary education.

Each scholarship is worth $1,000 and will be awarded until 2025.

The support comes through donations from MEGlobal and Dow Canada, recognizing Sharp’s 25 years of contributions as a member of the Prentiss Site Community Advisory Panel.

As a member of the panel, Sharp engages with representatives from MEGlobal and Dow Canada about ways to improve communications with the general public.

“Her insightful questions and suggestions on behalf of site neighbours and the region have made a big impact on how our companies operate and communicate with our stakeholders,” Trish Thompson, public affairs manager with MEGlobal, said in a statement. “She has always been a vocal advocate for education and agriculture, so this scholarship is a perfect way to recognize Marilyn for her service to the (panel) and to the community.”

The announcement surprised her.

“When we were in the meeting and they told me about it, I was quite overwhelmed. This is an extreme honour for me,” she told Farms.com. “I never did this sort of work expecting to be recognized for it.”

Community involvement has always been part of Sharp’s life.

Her 4-H career started in 1964 when she moved from British Columbia to start working as a district home economist with Alberta Agriculture. She also judged 4-H public speaking competitions.

Sharp was the first women elected President of Canadian Western Agribition and Chair of the Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta.

Community involvement is a two-way street, she said.

“The community has been so supportive of me and my family and I think it’s important to give back to the community when you can,” she said. “Both of my parents were very involved in their communities and so I think (community involvement) was something they instilled in me.”

Members can apply now for the Marilyn Sharp scholarship.

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

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Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

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Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

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This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

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Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.