New Pathy Fellow from McGill's Macdonald Campus will focus on sustainable farming with Élèves des champs

Two new McGill University graduates have won Pathy Fellowships, including one graduate from McGill's Macdonald Campus. The $50,000 award recognizes young leaders who have innovative approaches to creating change, enabling them to dedicate a year of their early career to a cause and community they are passionate about while engaging in hands-on and practical learning.

Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences grad Sam Liptay (B.Sc., Food Production and Environment Concentration) and Mai Ababneh (B.Sc., Cognitive Science) will become members of the program’s first-ever national cohort. 

The Pathy Fellowship allows young leaders to test and develop their skills in their respective fields while benefiting from a rich support network of driven peers, skilled facilitators and experienced practitioners. Fellows can propose a self-directed initiative in any field, sector and community they have a meaningful connection with.

Sam Liptay

Sam Liptay will work to strengthen Élèves des champs (formerly the Macdonald Student-run Ecological Gardens) by developing a sustainable farm model that balances food production, youth employment and community service. He said he plans to engage local interest holders to improve infrastructure and operational efficiency, while expanding educational programming, increasing food donations and creating meaningful youth employment in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Liptay has been working on Élèves des champs since 2021. In this work, he “discovered a radical passion and potential, both within [myself] and dozens of other young folks for more just, accessible, and joyful agricultural spaces that serve the needs of communities, farm workers and the land, alike.”

“I applied to the Pathy Fellowship as I knew it would allow me to keep doing meaningful work in my community while having the resources to learn more about myself and my community in a guided and supportive environment,” Liptay said.

Busy year ahead

Ababneh and Liptay will begin their Fellowship year in July with four weeks of training covering such topics as participatory community engagement and leadership principles, project planning and management, strengths-based approaches and funding development.

Next, Fellows will develop and implement their initiatives over the course of a 10-month Community Phase while benefiting from dedicated program support.