$58,000 Awarded to Children of Vineyard Farmworkers
The Vineyard Team’s Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Invests in the Next Generation
Atascadero, CA— Higher education is important to many students but paying for college can be challenging. This year, the Vineyard Team’s Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship awarded $58,000 in higher education scholarships to 18 students whose parents work in California vineyards.
First-year recipient Erick says, “As a first-generation student hailing from a low-income family, pursuing higher education has always been a dream for me. However, financial constraints have often posed significant challenges along the way. The Juan Nevarez Scholarship has helped to alleviate this burden".
Thanks to a partnership with Must! Charities, this unique program makes multi-year investments in higher education. 12 students received scholarship funding as a return recipient. Plus, scholarships were awarded to six recent high school graduates from Healdsburg High School (1), Paso Robles High School (2), Pioneer Valley High School (1), Soledad High School (2).
Since 2015, with the help of many generous donors, the program has awarded $260,000 in scholarships based on academic excellence, financial need, and community involvement. Ninety-eight percent of recipients have been first-generation college students.
Four years ago, the program was dedicated to the memory of Juan Nevarez. Juan touched the lives of many wineries in the Paso Robles area. Moving to the United States from Mexico when he was 17, Juan turn his dreams into reality through grit, hard work, and self-education, establishing his still thriving company Nevarez Farm Labor.
Even with this success, Juan dreamed of an education for his children. “Our Dad had one requirement for all his children: we must graduate from college,” shares Eufemia Nevarez, Juan’s daughter. “It didn’t matter what we wanted to study or where, but he insisted we don’t come home until our diploma is printed and hanging on the wall in the living room!”
Today, Juan’s dream of a better future lives on through the scholarship and all of the incredible, deserving recipients. To make a life-changing impact on a student's future by donating, visit www.vineyardteam.org/scholarship. Every supporter makes a difference.
Vineyard Team and all of the generous donors invite you to visit us online to learn more about Juan and to meet the recipients.
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About Vineyard Team
Arising from growers' interest to educate and guide themselves towards sustainable winegrowing practices, Vineyard Team has become an internationally recognized leader in the sustainability movement since 1994.
Not only has the organization influenced sustainability initiatives within the winegrowing community, Vineyard Team programs have influenced efforts in other crops as well. Recognized by governmental, environmental, and community organizations, Vineyard Team's sustainable winegrowing programs are always leading the way in innovation. Visit www.VineyardTeam.org for more information.
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