Now in its seventh season, the OMHA-Dairy Farmers of Ontario Bursary program has awarded over $100,000 worth of post-secondary bursaries to students across the province. The recipients from previous years are well into their studies, and we reached out to some to see how the bursary impacted them and how their schoolwork is going.

The 2026 OMHA Bursary Program is comprised of two awards – the Dairy Farmers of Ontario Bursary and the Wally Scott Bursary. It reflects the achievements of young hockey players who are committed to their community, athletic ability, and academic achievement. Each recipient will receive financial support toward their post-secondary education.

We chatted with:

• Brooke Davenport (Bradford Minor Hockey) - 2025 Recipient
• Justin Barnes (Dorchester Minor Hockey) - 2024 Recipient
• Jack Madden (Napanee Minor Hockey) - 2023 Recipient

Candidates must complete the application form below and submit it to the OMHA by 8:00 pm on February 15, 2026. Each application will be reviewed by a panel and only the winning recipients will be contacted by the OMHA. We wish the best of luck to all applicants.

Click here to apply

Davenport: I am currently loving my first year of engineering at Queen’s University.

Barnes: I am currently in my second year at Wilfred Laurier University and studying for a Business Administration Degree. 

Madden: I’m currently a third-year Bachelor of Health Sciences student at the University of Ottawa.

Davenport: The OMHA Dairy Farmers of Ontario Scholarship was very relieving this year. The financial assistance allowed me to focus on my studies as well as my University experience instead of the financial demand of university life. Without the scholarship I would have been much more stressed at the beginning of the year and would not have been able to live my life to the fullest or have made the most of the experiences offered in university. 

Barnes: The Bursary helped reduced my financial stress which helped me start my post-secondary education with confidence.

Madden: The bursary was a huge help in getting my post-secondary education off the ground. There are many expenses associated with university, especially housing, which is significantly more expensive in Ottawa compared to other schools. The financial support allowed me to focus on my studies while still participating in the sports I love through intramurals and other recreational leagues.

Davenport: There are so many life skills I learned from hockey, I almost don’t know where to start. Engineering is a very collaborative program and is a close knit community here at Queen's. You frequently work in groups and participate in community events, my experience on a team has been extremely helpful in those aspects. More personally, while I was playing hockey, I was always very busy. But I loved everything that I was a part of so instead of quitting I learned to manage my time and discipline myself to be able to play. As an engineering student this has been unbelievably important and helpful. With my class schedule, time management and discipline has been very important. My experience with hockey taught me how to work hard, manage my time, and never give up, no matter how hard it gets. In no hockey game ever was giving up an option. You get back out there and give it your all. This directly correlates with my studies. My perseverance and effort, my drive to do better, to work harder, stems from hockey. And that drive has not disappointed me. I have been very successful in my academics so far and I intend on continuing to give my studies the effort and determination I always gave hockey. 

Barnes: Team building skills have helped me with group projects in being able to build strong relationships with my peers in the classroom and outside the classroom and also helped me with my leadership abilities. Perseverance also is big in helping me when the going gets tough with school work and when it comes to just adjusting to the university life. 

Madden: Discipline is a major skill I developed through hockey; waking up for early morning practices, making sacrifices, and staying committed. This discipline has carried over directly into my academics. One of the hardest parts of university is attending classes or studying for exams when motivation is low, and I believe hockey taught me the perseverance to keep pushing and putting in effort even when I don’t feel like it.

Davenport: A big shock to me was how nothing slows down in university. As a matter of fact, it keeps speeding up. One unit in high school is one lecture in university. In high school when midterms rolled around you wouldn’t have many big projects. However, in university I have had labs worth 10% of my grade only a few hours before a midterm worth 30% of my grade. Nothing slows down for your benefit, and you need to figure out how to best manage your time and energy to succeed. In this time there are also lots of assignments and quizzes thrown at you. There is always something that needs to get done. Setting up an academic calendar has helped me see what must be done and by when. I can plan ahead and determine the best times to study for different classes. It also allows me to find all my assignments, classes, due dates, in one place in a clear way. 

Barnes: The biggest surprise I had in university was how on your own you are at the beginning. I was able to manage this change by using my personal and leadership skills I learned from playing hockey and reffing to meet new people, and slowly build new friendships. 

Madden: While the academic workload from day one was a big adjustment, the biggest surprise was the level of responsibility that comes with living on your own; something I took for granted when I was younger. I’ve learned to manage my time more efficiently in order to stay on top of coursework while still making room for extracurricular activities.

Davenport: Although I don’t play hockey anymore, I am still very involved in the sport. One of my extracurriculars here at Queen’s is the community outreach team. My project is to manage the sponsorship of a local hockey team. So, although I am not playing this year, I have still gone to watch their games and am organizing to take them to an OHL game. I am happy to use my passion for hockey to add to the experience of the next generation of players. I also hope to play on an intramural hockey team next year. 

Barnes: I still play hockey, as I play intramural hockey at Laurier. I also still referee in London area and also referee in Waterloo. 

Madden: I’m still involved in hockey and play with friends through the recreational sports league, LUG. The league remains quite competitive, with players ranging from former house league athletes to current Junior B players in my division. Outside of league play, my friends and I also frequently visit the community outdoor rink to play pick-up.

Davenport: I am very excited for my future in the program! A bachelor's in applied science is only 4 years of studies, however at Queen’s University you have the opportunity to participate in a year long internship during your fourth year, then return in your fifth year to finish your studies. This is one of the reasons I chose to go to Queen’s. Experiential learning and industry experience is vital to a pathway to engineering and helps you get your foot in the door for your career. 

Barnes: My next few years include me looking to specialize in the field of accounting or finance, get a minor in history, and either pursue a career in accounting or finance, or maybe look at taking the teaching route. 

Madden: After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to apply to medical school. Given how competitive medical school admissions are in Canada, I expect that I may not be accepted on my first attempt. If that happens, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in a health-related field to strengthen my application. This coming summer, I also plan to gain research experience in an Ottawa-based lab that focuses on mitochondrial diseases and the role of mitochondria in stem cells, among other areas of research.