5915 El Camino Real, Atascadero, California, United States of America, 93422

https://www.vineyardteam.org/

805-466-2288

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Scholarships Serve Up Opportunities to Succeed for Students, Industry Workers

The Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship

Published in Wine Business Monthly February 1, 2025

The Vineyard Team, a non-profit organization, has been around for 30 years, and from the beginning its focus has been on providing education in sustainable winegrowing.

"Something that we talk about a lot is the three P's: people, planet and prosperity. The scholarship program is our way of giving back to the people," explained Beth Vukmanic, The Vineyard Team executive director. "And it's really just been wonderful to see it grow over time."

Launching in 2015 with money raised from a food and wine event, the scholarship program has since grown, awarding a total of $350,000 in scholarship funds.

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Funds for the program now come from direct donations to the scholarship. In 2022 Must! Charities-a Paso Robles-based non-profit that helps fundraise and support programs in the area-decided to make an investment in The Vineyard Team's scholarship program.

Vukmanic said it was an incredible opportunity to take the program to the next level-they were able to create multi-year scholarships and add a mentorship component to the program. While the multi-year scholarship concept was evolving-as scholars would come back each year to reapply with the help of Must!-they were able to solidify the multi-year scholarship program. Now students who apply know that they will be covered by the scholarship on an annual basis as long as they continue to meet the criteria for the program.

Multi-year scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $6,000 per student per year. To be eligible for the program, students must be California-based graduating high school seniors or high school graduates who have never attended college, and one of their parents or guardians must be employed or contracted by the vineyard and winery industry. In addition, they must plan to enroll in and complete at least one year of study as a full-time student. The applicant must also demonstrate good academic standing with at least a 2.5 GPA, show financial need for the program and be involved in some sort of extracurricular activity, such as community service or employment.

Vukmanic said one thing they learned, through this program, is that most scholarship recipients are first-generation college students.

"A lot of them feel lost in the system.... A lot of times maybe they have more financial constraints, they don't have a parent they can talk to, they've never experienced college before, so they have a harder time getting through the system," she observed.

The mentorship program offers students help with whatever their challenge is; this can range from needing help with time management and organization, to financial aid or even challenges with a particular class.

The mentor can help connect the scholar with resources, like tutors or office hours; and as part of the mentorship program, the program also publishes a monthly newsletter for scholars with college tips, such as study or note taking best practices. For students who are about to graduate, mentors can also help with resumes, LinkedIn and interviewing skills.

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Esteban Garcia was able to attend college as a working father thanks to several scholarships from The Vineyard Team.

Vukmanic reported that the number of applicants has increased over the years. They select around six recipients annually, though that depends on how much funding they have available each year.

For Vukmanic, the most rewarding thing about the scholarship program is hearing the success stories from students. "One that we love to talk about is Esteban. He was in the program several years ago, and he grew up in Mexico," she said.

In 2000, Esteban Garcia and his family moved to California where they continued to work in agriculture. Becoming a single dad at the age of 17, Esteban continued to pick fruit after graduating from high school. He told his uncle he wanted to take advantage of the opportunities available to him and do something bigger, so he did. He went from being told that he wouldn't graduate high school, because his English wasn't good enough, to holding multiple degrees and certificates in viticulture.

In 2019, Garcia's field manager told him about the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship for farm workers and encouraged him to apply. Garcia received the scholarship three years in a row-a total of $13,000, which made it possible for him, as a working father, to attend college. He was the first in his family to do so.

Today, he works at Sea Smoke Vineyards as an associate vineyard manager with aspirations to one day be a vice president or director of winery operations.

Scholarship higher education Vineyard Team sustainable sustainable winegrowing Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship next generation California vineyard and winery workers

About

Keeping up-to-date with the latest sustainable winegrowing practices can be hard...but it doesn't have to be.

What started as a small grower group’s desire to educate and guide themselves towards sustainable winegrowing practices has become Vineyard Team, an internationally recognized leader in the sustainability movement.

Since 1994, the 501(c)-3 non-profit has served its membership of farmers, winemakers, and industry partners by creating an educational network with the leadership of its staff and board of directors to help growers save resources and money, all while cultivating valuable relationships.

Who Are We: Read about our 5 programs


Mission

Vineyard Team will identify and promote the most environmentally safe, viticulturally and economically sustainable farming methods while maintaining or improving the quality and flavor of wine grapes.

The Team will be a model for wine grape growers and will promote the public trust of stewardship for natural resources.


Demonstration Projects

Demonstration projects help growers learn about new management techniques, successfully adopt new practices, and minimize risk.

Staff, technical advisors (University of California Cooperative Extension/university professors), and growers collaborate to implement specific practices and share the results with the winegrowing community.

Click here to read more about the Demonstration Projects Vineyard Team has been involved with.


Contact

Contact List

Title Name Email Phone Extension
Executive Director Beth Vukmanic beth@vineyardteam.org 805-464-4851
Outreach & Education Coordinator Hayli Macober hayli@vineyardteam.org 805-464-4849
SIP Certified Coordinator Whitney Brownie whitney@vineyardteam.org 805-464-4850

Location List

Locations Address State Country Zip Code
Vineyard Team 5915 El Camino Real, Atascadero California United States of America 93422

List of Locations