Bobalu Berries awards 23 scholarships to high school seniors

Bobalu Berry Farms has awarded 23 scholarships to students at nine high schools, marking the second year the company has presented financial aid awards to graduating high school seniors.

As part of its 60th anniversary in 2022, the company awarded nine scholarships to students at three schools in Oxnard, Calif., according to a news release. This year Bobalu Berry Farms received over 80 applications from students at high schools in the growing regions of Oxnard and Santa Maria, Calif., the release said. 

The merit-based program focused heavily on grades but also considered philanthropic activities by students supporting their community, company officials said.

“We knew with this many applications and so many students deserving scholarships that we had to attend their awards nights and present these scholarships in person,” RC Jones, managing partner, said in the release. “The students are so well qualified, we had a very difficult time narrowing it down to the final recipients.”

The company’s scholarship program was expanded for 2023, offering scholarship opportunities to students at high schools in both Oxnard and Santa Maria, Calif. The majority of this year's recipients will be attending California state universities, and some will be pursuing degrees in agriculture, the release said. 

Many of the students receiving funds from Bobalu are the first in their families to attend college and expressed gratitude in their essays for the support they have received from family, teachers and school counselors, the company said.

“We formed a staff committee this year due to the number of applications we received and the caliber of students that have worked so hard all four years”, Bobby Jones, managing partner, said in the release. “Our in-house team really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of this process and help to provide ways we can continue to expand the scholarship program in the future.”

Bobby Jones and RC Jones said in the release that they are honored to support the 23 students that rely on outside financial support for universities they will be attending.  

The company executives expressed hope that other local produce companies will consider similar programs since over 80 students applied for the scholarships, the release said.

Nine of the 23 students that received awards last week are graduating from Adolfo Camarillo, Pacifica, Rancho Campana and Channel Islands high schools in Oxnard. In Santa Maria, an additional 14 students are graduating from Delta, Ernest Righetti, Pioneer, St. Joseph’s and Santa Maria high schools.