A Shropshire student is set to further her agricultural studies after winning a £1,500 scholarship from the organisers of Newport Show.
Nineteen-year-old Megan Edwards, who is studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Animal Science at Harper Adams University, will use the funding from the Newport and District Agricultural Society to travel to Canada and find out more about the poultry industry on a global scale.
The former Burton Borough and Newport Girls’ High Schools student, who lives at Chadwell near Newport, will also use a proportion of the money to attend industry conferences and events.
The society makes the award annually. It is open to all second or final year BSc and final year Foundation degree students at the university, who live in Shropshire or Staffordshire and aims to bring an additional benefit to their studies.
Applicants have to submit a CV along with a statement about their course and details about how the bursary would benefit their future studies. A panel of society members then interviews a shortlist of students before a winner is chosen.
Megan, who made a presentation to the society’s recent annual general meeting about her research into Avian flu and her plans for the scholarship, said: “The funding will help me in furthering my knowledge and progression within the agricultural industry, attending conferences including the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference, and events such as the British Pig & Poultry Fair.
“I aim to travel to Canada next summer to see how a different country’s poultry systems vary to those in the UK, as this will broaden my understanding of production globally. As many roles within the poultry sector require specific training, such as poultry welfare, hygiene and biosecurity, some of the money will be put towards relevant courses in order to develop my skills further.”
She added: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the society for the opportunities that the scholarship has provided me with.”
The society’s Chairman of Trustees Robert Watson Jones said: “Megan’s passion for agriculture and the poultry industry in particular was clear to see through her application and interview.
“She is already gaining lots of practical work experience in the sector through her part time work and the scholarship will allow her to gain a greater insight into her chosen field, that should add even more value to her education.”
