MOOSOMIN — Four area high school graduates will be a little closer to their academic dreams as the 2025 Deep Roots Foundation Scholarship recipients were announced recently. An initiative of the Hebert Group, scholarships of $2,000 per student are awarded to four candidates annually.
“I’m very encouraged,” said Jeff Warkentin, chief operating officer with The Hebert Group, when asked about this year’s recipients.
“We’re proud of the communities that we do business in and live in, and we hope that these individuals get their post-secondary education choose to come back and live and work in the area. We think the area has a lot to offer, so hopefully they get some life experience, but choose to come back.”
This year’s scholarship recipients are Jeffery Hutchinson of Rocanville, Rachel Wilson from Wawota, Tess Bolton from Moosomin and Whitewood’s Taydean Johnson.
After graduating from Rocanville School, Hutchinson plans to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Saskatchewan. In addition to his academic achievements, Hutchinson’s community involvement and work on the family farm were of keen interest in reviewing his application.
Bolton also plans on heading to the U of S for a Bachelor of Commerce. She was a highly engaged student at McNaughton High School, attaining honours and distinctions in her classes along the way, plus actively volunteering in her community.
As for Whitewood School grad Johnson, she plans to begin her degree in soil science at the U of S. Active in her local 4-H club and student council, Johnson showed a strong commitment to not only her scholarly studies, but also to volunteering in local rodeo events and working at the Whitewood Museum through multiple summers.
Wilson has her sights set on Vermilion, Alta, and Lakeland College, where the Wawota Parkland grad will embark on a degree in agribusiness. Also a strong student, Wilson has volunteered extensively, including being a curling coach and fundraising for paediatric brain cancer. She also worked on the family farm and part-time at Moose Mountain Meats.
A total of 12 applications were received for the scholarships with the main component being a three to five minute video answering at least two of the three questions: what changes do you foresee in primary agriculture over the next 10 years; what role do you envision yourself playing in the future of agriculture; and how can farms attract new individuals to pursue careers in agriculture.
“It’s a modern world,” Warkentin said. “We had the students submit essays, but then the world of ChatGPT came along, so now we’ve asked that they include a personalized video to help with the selection process. They were very well done this year.”
The Deep Roots Scholarship is open to Grade 12 students of Maryfield, Wawota, Whitewood, Moosomin, and Redvers who plan to continue their education in agriculture, business, or a related field. In addition, those applying also need to include an acceptance letter from their chosen post-secondary institution.
Broadening the field to applicants not strictly in an agricultural field of study reflects some of the talent already employed by the Hebert Group.
“We employ a lot of different skill sets, so that’s why we decided to broaden it out a little bit, other than just agriculture,” Warkentin explained. “You never know, hopefully they’ll find their way back to HGV one day!”
Another unique feature of the scholarship is the distribution of funds happens upon completion of the recipient’s first semester of post-secondary study.
“We just wanted to make sure that they went to school,” Warkentin said. “It’s more checks and balances; rather than writing a cheque right away, they have to show us that they’ve attended school.”
