We're thrilled to congratulate Sydney Banton, winner of the 2024 Pet Food Association of Canada (PFAC) scholarship! The scholarship is named for Martha 'Marty' Wilder, who directed PFAC for 24 years. This is the second annual PFAC scholarship, which is a $5,000 award to a Canadian graduate student pursuing a field related to animal nutrition. As a PhD student at the University of Guelph, famous for its agricultural and nutrition programs, Sydney's a fantastic candidate for the PFAC scholarship. Let's learn a bit more about her!

From a bio undergrad to a pet nutrition PhD

"I think my path to becoming a PhD student in pet nutrition is unique," Sydney said. "I started out in ecology and evolutionary biology in my undergraduate degree with no nutrition knowledge." Still, Sydney completed her undergrad, and moved onto a master's degree. "I quickly found my love for nutrition when I started my master's," she said, "and haven't looked back since!

Even so, Sydney's not 100% set on what she'll do next. "Not to sound cliché, but I still don't know what I want to do after my PhD," she said. "Working in either the human or pet nutrition industry would be a great place to start and get experience and then maybe come back to academia."

Applying for the Martha 'Marty' Wilder scholarship

"The application process for this scholarship was straightforward and well explained," Sydney said. She enjoyed the fact that questions weren't focused entirely on "academics, but instead on more personal questions about the applicant overall."

"When I submitted my application I felt excited," she continued. "I had completed everything to the best of my ability and was happy with my answers."

Receiving a scholarship

On learning she was chosen as the 2024 scholarship recipient, Sydney said, "I was honoured ... Marty Wilder has contributed greatly to the Canadian pet food industry and I am looking forward to hopefully being able to do the same throughout the rest of my career."

The Marty Wilder scholarship is more than just prize money, though: it's a chance to travel to the PFAC conference, to network and share ideas about the future of the industry. "This scholarship provides an incredible opportunity for me to travel to the PFAC conference and present my research to a room full of nutrition experts," Sydney said. "This is great for me to not only work on my presentation skills and networking but also to expand my knowledge and gain insightful feedback on my research." Sounds like Sydney will be taking full advantage of this chance!

Looking ahead to the future

"My advice to other students applying to scholarships is to always apply to anything you can," Sydney said. "There are so many available and the worst thing that can happen is that you don't receive it. But always apply, even if you think you don't have a chance, always apply!" Words to live by!

About PFAC and the Marty Wilder Honorary Scholarship

Per the PFAC website, "PFAC is the national industry association that represents pet food manufacturers and suppliers to the industry that does business in Canada. PFAC members are responsible for the majority of pet food sales in Canada, and over $1 billion in exports to over 90 countries around the world. This scholarship is made possible through funding by PFAC member companies."

"The scholarship's namesake, Martha 'Marty' Wilder, was Executive Director for PFAC for over 24 years, and contributed significantly to the growth and success of the pet food industry in Canada, and globally. The scholarship is named in her honour, as a recognition of the positive impact that she had on Canadian pet food."

Once again, congratulations to Sydney on receiving the 2024 Martha 'Marty' Wilder Honorary Scholarship from PFAC! We're sure you'll make incredible contributions to the nutrition field. Enjoy the PFAC conference!