The California Table Grape Commission continues its tradition of awarding scholarships to children of field workers, recently giving eight college-bound students scholarships for the coming school year.
The commission has given scholarships to more than 130 students since starting the program in 1985, according to a news release, helping them attend vocational schools, community colleges and California universities.
The commission started another program eight years ago, designed to encourage students who want to work in the agriculture industry, with an emphasis in the table grape industry. Twenty-four students have received that scholarship, according to the release.
This year’s recipients and their schools of choice/field of study are:
- $3,500 two-year field worker scholarships — Yaritzi Mariscal (Bakersfield College-nursing) and Luisa Perez Rodriguez (Bakersfield College-radiological technology)
- $20,000 four-year field worker scholarships — Marisleysis Valdez (California State University-Bakersfield-finance), Rosalinda Valenzuela (UC-San Diego-mechanical engineering) and Aime Alarcon (University of Southern California-education administration)
- $20,000 four-year agricultural scholarships — Lindsey Swall (Fresno State University-horticulture), Brendan Wilson (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-mechanical technology to reduce field labor) and Leslie Herrera (UC-Davis-human resources)
