Mary Ellen McCormick

ONE OF EIGHT CHILDREN, Mary Ellen grew up on a farm where she spent most of her free time. Each year, she enjoys the fall fair. When nominated, she welcomed the challenge as a chance to represent the fair she loves.

“When I got asked if I wanted to run for the Wellesley fall fair ambassador, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get out and learn new things. Ever since I was a child I’ve been extremely shy and still haven’t been able to get to the point where I feel comfortable meeting new people, let alone public speaking,” she explained. “I look forward to the challenge it will bring me, and I hope to overcome my difficulties and feel more confident.”

The 18-year-old student at Waterloo-Oxford is a wiz at welding, having excelled greatly at it in high school, creating unique garden art. She continues on doing welding jobs at home on the farm. You can also find Mary Ellen baking, decorating cakes and spending lots of time enjoying the outdoors. Each summer she says she looks forward to planting a garden with new and different varieties of vegetables to display at the fall fair.

Not only did she achieve a place on the honour roll throughout high school, she also started her own business where she breeds and raises meat goats, a venture that has grown substantially since its start last year. In her free time she volunteers at her church, works at the Ontario Livestock Exchange and helps with her family’s Fall Harvest Farm.

Since she enjoys working with animals she wants to continue to raise and expand her goat business while also helping to raise other animals.

Mary Ellen is planning to go to college, though she hasn’t decided if she wants to proceed in agriculture or the health field.