Tuesday, April 18, 2023

UnitedAg Awards Forty-two Students the 2023 AEF Educational Scholarship

UnitedAg announces the winners of the 2023 AEF Educational Scholarship Program. Forty-two students from agricultural communities across California and Arizona won awards ranging from $500 to $6,000. This year the Agribusiness Education Foundation Scholarship Program awarded $74,800 in total. The foundation (AEF) has provided financial assistance of more than $1.8 million to more than 1,100 students. The member-sponsored scholarship program by UnitedAg empowers the ag community through financial support and leadership programs.

The top three scholarships were awarded to Hanna Scully, an agribusiness major at California State University, Chico, Karli Lundberg, an agricultural communications major at California Polytech University, San Luis Obispo, and Kassidi McLeod an agribusiness major at California State University, Chico.

Supporting our future agricultural professionals is the purpose and mission of the Agribusiness Education Foundation. As our industry faces a wave of farmer retirements, leaving many family farms with the tough decision of who will take on the family business its programs like the AEF foundation that are exposing our industry to the next generation of agricultural leaders” said Loretta Brown, AEF Committee Chair.

This year’s AEF Educational Scholarship winners are:

Adelia Guerrero

Buckeye, AZ

Duncan Family Farms

Amber Snook

Arroyo Grande, CA

Babe Farms

America Huipio-Piedra

Visalia, CA

Nichols Farms

Ana Rosas Pacheco

Santa Maria, CA

Faith Farming, LLC

Andrew Zendejas

Gonzales, CA

Foothill Packing

Caleb Peltzer

Visalia, CA

Peltzer Enterprises

Carmen Ortiz-Cruz

Orland, CA

Capay Farms

Carson Wallace

Springville, CA

Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District

Catherine Regan

Tucson, AZ

Regan Distributors, Inc.

David Hernandez

Santa Paula, CA

Saticoy Lemon Association

Dominic Odegaard

San Luis Obispo, CA

Plant Sciences, Inc.

Emily Cerney

Colusa, CA

Cameron C. Kaelin Farming

Emma James

Salinas, CA

Green Valley Farm Supply, Inc.

Flavio Carrillo-Gonzalez

Watsonville, CA

Henry Hibino Farms

Hadassah Legaspi

Salinas, CA

Ramco Enterprises

Hanna Scully *

Lakeport, CA

Scully Packing Company, LLC

Hannah OConnor

San Luis Obispo, CA

Michael Rue

Idalia Bucio Rodriguez

Santa Maria, CA

Plantel Nurseries

Isabella Argueta

Visalia, CA

Nichols Farms

Jackie Madrigal

Lindsay, CA

Setton Pistachio

Jackson Roberts

Salinas, CA

Church Brothers Farms, LLC

Jacqueline Martinez Rojas

Santa Maria, CA

Rancho Guadalupe

Jennifer Millan

Salinas, CA

Church Brothers Farms, LLC

Jesse Blanco

Salinas, CA

Ramco Enterprises

Kaitlyn Kampmann

Orland, CA

K&S Spreading and Hauling

Karli Lundberg **

Santa Maria, CA

Babe Farms, Inc.

Kassidi McLeod ***

Orland, CA

Erick Nielsen Enterprises

Katherine Miller

Edinburgh, UK

Saticoy Lemon Association

Landon Trinh

Garden Grove, CA

UnitedAg

Lindsey Kennel Kisling

Porterville, CA

Setton Pistachio

Madden Hill

Waterford, CA

Central Counties DHIA

Maggie Farlow

Chico, CA

Farmers Brewing Company

Marco Antonio Ceja

Soledad, CA

Dynapac Harvesting, Inc.

Mikayla Gonzales

Devine, TX

UnitedAg

Noah Peltzer

Visalia, CA

Peltzer Enterprises

Sandy Rubio

Pittsburgh, PA

Neil Jones Food Company

Sierra Dorf-Cardenas

Santa Cruz, CA

Rijk Zwaan USA

Sylvia Hernandez

Fairfield, CA

Frog's Leap Winery

Tyler Keegan

Salinas, CA

Nunes Cooling, Inc.

Vanessa Enciso

La Palma, CA

UnitedAg

Venissia Garcia

Fresno, CA

Nichols Farms

Wendy Ceja

Soledad, CA

Dynapac Harvesting, Inc.

* Maurice McMillan Scholarship

** William C. Goodrich Scholarship

*** Women in Agriculture Scholarship

Award winners were required to complete an application that includes their high school or college information as well as an essay question, personal statement describing why they are seeking the scholarship and how receiving this scholarship will enhance their educational goal. Student applications are reviewed by the education committee that is comprised of UnitedAg members. Scholarship award ceremonies have been scheduled throughout California, Arizona and Texas to recognize the award recipients. For more information on the 2023 AEF Scholarship awards, visit unitedag.org/aef.

About UnitedAg

UnitedAg represents more than 1,000 agriculture-affiliated member companies and helps its members meet their employee benefits needs, promotes their interests with lawmakers, helps them comply with health legislation and regulation. Based in Irvine, Calif., UnitedAg has offices in Irvine, Salinas, and wellness centers throughout the Central Valley and Northern California. UnitedAg offers benefits to over 55,000 agricultural workers in California and Arizona. For more information about AEF, visit unitedag.org/education-and-youth.

Link to Press Release

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