Vineyards are essential to the Central Coast, providing wine to far-reaching regions and stimulating a sprawling local industry. Based in Los Alamos, the Vineyard Team is a nonprofit organization that’s been serving the Central Coast since 1994 by creating an educational network for farmers, winemakers, and industry partners alike by promoting sustainability and efficiency.
One of the outstanding initiatives of the Vineyard Team is their Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship, a program which provides annual scholarships to the children of vineyard and winery employees. The scholarship is named after Juan Nevarez, a beloved member of the Central Coast wine-grape industry, whose kindness and expertise shaped several local vineyards. He also dreamed of higher education for his children.
When looking for qualified students for the scholarship, the Vineyard Team considers “students that have that grit factor, because Juan was such a tenacious, strong, caring, giving person,” said Executive Director Beth Vukmanic. “He focused a lot on giving back to the people that worked for him. So we also look for scholars who are involved within their communities or within their families.”
This scholarship makes higher education investments more accessible, creating a more equitable future for the children of California’s vineyard and winery workers. The majority of awardees are the first in their family to attend college. First-generation students historically face more barriers to attaining higher education and this funding helps to combat those adversities and pave a path to success…