Honoring a Father’s Dream—One Scholarship at a Time

Without the help of a college degree, Juan Nevarez had to work hard to build a successful career in the wine industry. He didn’t want his children to struggle the same way.

His daughter Mia was raised with one clear message: “You need to have a degree.” For Juan, education meant opportunity, independence, and proof of dedication.

The Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship honors his belief in the power of education by helping children of vineyard and winery workers achieve their college dreams.

Here’s the full story… *“You need to have a degree.” Mia, daughter of Juan Nevarez, heard it all of her life. “Education opens doors and will help you to become self-sufficient.”* Friends of Juan know how important education was to him. And it's an honor to have Vineyard Team’s scholarship program named in his honor. Growing up, the importance of obtaining a college education was a common subject. Mia says college was never an option, “It was something that was going to happen!” Mia’s father would tell her that an education isn’t just about the piece of paper, it’s proof of someone’s ability to accomplish something through hard work and dedication. Throughout school, Mia was pushed to get good grades and earn a degree in four years. Juan wanted his daughter to dedicate herself to doing her best. He would tell her, “You learn the worth of money when you work for it,” and that “without an education and work ethic, you can’t earn money.” Mia’s father built his 110-acre vineyard piece by piece through hard work alone. He didn’t start his career with a college degree that could speak for his expertise and open doors to a career. His success had to be earned the hard way. Although his decades of hard labor proved fruitful, he didn’t want his children to face the same challenges and struggle as hard as he did to become self-sufficient. Today, Mia is grateful to her father for pushing her to do her best.

Here’s the full story…

“You need to have a degree.” Mia, daughter of Juan Nevarez, heard it all of her life. “Education opens doors and will help you to become self-sufficient.”

Friends of Juan know how important education was to him. And it's an honor to have Vineyard Team’s scholarship program named in his honor.

Growing up, the importance of obtaining a college education was a common subject. Mia says college was never an option, “It was something that was going to happen!” Mia’s father would tell her that an education isn’t just about the piece of paper, it’s proof of someone’s ability to accomplish something through hard work and dedication.

Throughout school, Mia was pushed to get good grades and earn a degree in four years. Juan wanted his daughter to dedicate herself to doing her best. He would tell her, “You learn the worth of money when you work for it,” and that “without an education and work ethic, you can’t earn money.”

Mia’s father built his 110-acre vineyard piece by piece through hard work alone. He didn’t start his career with a college degree that could speak for his expertise and open doors to a career. His success had to be earned the hard way.

Although his decades of hard labor proved fruitful, he didn’t want his children to face the same challenges and struggle as hard as he did to become self-sufficient.

Today, Mia is grateful to her father for pushing her to do her best.

Since the program began in 2015, 98% of recipients have been the first in their family to attend college.

First-generation students have more barriers when it comes to attaining higher education:

They cannot ask their parents how to navigate the system
Budgets are often tight
They can feel guilty for leaving their families

Because our goal is college success, the program includes:

Multi-year scholarships to trade, two-, or four-year schools
A dedicated mentor to support the students throughout their collegiate career

We are adding six new scholars to the program this year!

Gifts from community members like you transform lives by increasing graduation rates and developing a qualified workforce that will contribute to their communities.

« Back to News Index