Four 4-H Youth Awarded Prestigious L.E.A.D. Scholarships

Ottawa, Canada – November 3, 2017 – 4-H Canada and CN are pleased to announce the 2017 4-H Canada Leadership Awards of Distinction (L.E.A.D.) recipients. These four exceptional senior members from across Canada embody the leadership excellence and academic achievement that every 4-H’er strives to meet.

L.E.A.D., 4-H Canada’s most prestigious and highly-sought after scholarship, is made possible through a generous partnership with CN, a long-time supporter of 4-H Canada and strong champion for advancing leadership in communities across Canada. This scholarship recognizes four such leaders each year, outstanding 4-H’ers who embody the 4-H youth movement, and who demonstrate personal development, community impact and leadership excellence in each of 4-H Canada’s four Leadership Development Pillars. The 2017 4-H Canada L.E.A.D. recipients are:

Sara Kate Smith (BC) L.E.A.D recipient for the Community Engagement and Communications Pillar
Evan Krebs (ON) L.E.A.D recipient for the Science and Technology Pillar
Sadie-Jane Hickson (ON) L.E.A.D. recipient for the Environment and Healthy Living Pillar
Thian Carmen (NS) for the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Pillar

“As a positive youth development organization we are more than thrilled to award these four exceptional youth leaders who are devoted to making a positive difference in the world,” said Shannon Benner, CEO of 4-H Canada. “We are fortunate to partner with a company like CN that truly understands and shares the values represented by the L.E.A.D. scholars.”

Each L.E.A.D. recipient benefits from a $20,000 scholarship towards their four-year post-secondary studies. They are also matched with a high-impact mentor who plays a leadership role in their industry and community. This mentorship relationship is an important component of the award program and helps L.E.A.D. recipients as they move forward in their careers.

“Congratulations to the recipients of the 2017 L.E.A.D. scholarships,” said Paul Deegan, vice-president of public and government affairs. “4-H Canada and CN share a vision to building stronger communities across this country and this partnership exemplifies this commitment. We are very proud to continue this partnership and helping to grow the next generation of responsible, caring and contributing leaders.”

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About 4-H Canada
For over 100 years, 4-H Canada has been one of the most highly respected positive youth development organizations in Canada. 4-H Canada has more than 24,874 members and nearly 7,600 volunteers. Our goal is to help young Canadians “Learn To Do By Doing” in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. We believe in nurturing responsible, caring and contributing leaders who are committed to positively impacting their communities across Canada and around the world. To learn more about 4-H Canada, please visit 4-h-canada.ca and follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

About CN
CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the company’s website at www.cn.ca.