WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt has awarded $37,500 in college scholarships to local students through its participation in Washington Apple Education Foundation’s (WAEF) scholarship program. ‘
“Education is paramount to our future success as a company, and for the fruit industry as a whole,” said Courtney Mathison, who oversees Stemilt’s corporate social responsibility committee. “We are thrilled to help send six students and children of Stemilt team members to college this year. The WAEF scholarship program takes college from a dream to reality for many in our community, and we couldn’t think of a better cause to support than that.”
Since 2015, the WAEF has awarded 225 scholarships to local students totaling $850,000, according to a press release. Stemilt has supported local students through this program since its inception in 1994.
Eduardo Ramos, a Wenatchee High School graduate and son of two Stemilt employees, received the Thomas K. Mathison Memorial Scholarship, which totals $22,500. The scholarship honors Stemilt’s late Founder and tree fruit industry pioneer, Tom Mathison.
Five other children of Stemilt employees received scholarships from the company ranging from $2,500 to $4,000. These scholarship recipients included:
- Teresa Bendito, a graduate of Wenatchee High School and soon-to-be pre-med major at Eastern Washington University
- Diana Chavira-Lopez, a graduate of Eastmont High School and nursing major
- Noell Huck, a graduate of Naches Valley High School who plans to study biology and hopes to become an allergist
- Roxana Claro, a junior at Washington State University studying psychology and human development
- Ernesto Castro, a sophomore engineering major at Washington State University
These recipients were honored along with others during WAEF’s annual scholarship luncheons held on July 20th in Yakima, WA and July 27th in Wenatchee, WA.
