Winegrape Growers Award Scholarships To Workers’ Kids

The California Wine Grape Growers Foundation (CWGGF) has awarded seven high school seniors $25,000 in college scholarships. Through generous donations and participation by members of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), the foundation is able to award scholarships each year to students whose parents are vineyard employees of winegrape growers.

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CWGGF scholarship assistance provides two $8,000, four-year scholarships to any campus in the University of California or California State University system, four $2,000, two-year scholarships for any California Community college, and one $1,000 Robert N. Miller Scholarship. The Robert N. Miller Scholarship is awarded exclusively to Central Coast students who plan to major in or are currently enrolled in viticulture and enology programs at Alan Hancock Community College or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“It’s gratifying to help high school students each year achieve their career goals with our foundation’s scholarship program,” said JR Shannon, CWGGF’s chairman. “Our vineyard employees are valued members of our winegrape grower family, and supporting their children’s dream of a college education is what families do.”

Scholarship selection is based on financial need, scholastic ability, community involvement, leadership, and a 500-word essay. This year’s scholarship winners represent California’s diverse winegrape growing regions, from the North Coast to the Central Valley to the Central Coast. Since its inception in 1998, the foundation program has awarded $301,000 in scholarships.

CWGGF also manages the Robert “Bob” Miller scholarship, which helps students in the Central Coast who want to remain there and develop a career in viticulture and enology. Bob Miller was a leader in the state’s wine community who helped to establish the Central Coast as a leading winegrowing region of California. Bob’s family created this scholarship – of up to $1,000 – to honor his memory.

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