Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships to recipients of its annual scholarship program in 2024.
With a new format, including the addition of an employee scholarship, the program is now divided into three categories — the Extraordinary Scholarship, the Innovative Scholarship, and the Employee Scholarship — according to a news release.
Taylor Farms says 37 new scholarships were awarded this year:
- The Extraordinary Scholarship is designed for students attending a four-year university — 25 individuals were awarded in this category.
- The Innovative Scholarship is designed for junior college and trade school students — seven students were awarded in this category.
- The Employee Scholarship is designed to support current Taylor Farms team members in their continuing education development — five team members were awarded in this category.
Since 2008, Taylor Farms has awarded $4.1 million in scholarship funds to 281 outstanding students pursuing a higher education, according to the release.
“We are honored to continue to support our team members and their families in their educational journeys,” Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, said in the release. “By investing in education and the academic aspirations of our communities, we are building the foundation for continuous opportunity. Congratulations to this year’s winners.”
Taylor Farms says it partners with the Community Foundation for Monterey County to facilitate the application process and award distribution.
The scholarships are tailored to support recipients throughout their academic career, where recipients receive an upfront check and a renewal opportunity for each year they remain in an undergraduate or graduate program, the release said. In addition to the 2024 scholarship award recipients, Taylor Farms also awarded 73 renewal scholarships for students who were awarded between 2021 and 2023. All of these academic scholarship winners are children of active, full-time Taylor Farms employees.
“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” Rachel Molatore, director of communications at Taylor Farms, said in the release. “We are thrilled to host several of our team members and their families every year to celebrate this important achievement and expand this valuable program in our community.”
