VIVA FRESH SCHOLARSHIP

VIVA FRESH SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship Awardees

Anthony E. VasquezFarmer's Marketing Services
Texas A&M Univ.-Kingsville,

Agriculture
Science – General Agriculture, B.S.

Brittany M. St. GeorgeDole Fresh Vegetables
UC Irvine,
Education &
Global Cultures, Agriculture Teacher
James MurrayTex-Mex Recycling / Tenaza Organics
UT at Austin,
Biology & STEM
– Freshman Polymathic Honors
Mariela ElizondoInternational Paper
The University of Oklahoma, Agricultural
Marketing

Viva Fresh Scholarship Application

Each year we remember and celebrate those individuals who have had a major impact in our region. This year’s Viva Fresh scholarship will posthumously honor Mrs. Gracie Gonzalez. Gracie was a long time employee of the Texas International Produce Association, who passed away in 2020. Since the 90s, Gracie worked with the South Texas Onion and Melon Committee, Texas Produce Association (later TIPA), and Texas Citrus Mutual. If you attended an event, visited the office or called the organization you likely saw her smiling face or heard her happy voice. Her kindness, love and patience extended to every single member of our industry and her presence and hard work were part of the behind-the-scenes effort that helped craft the association we know today.

CLOSED

Objective of the Scholarship

The program will provide one-year scholarships to family of TIPA members, Viva Fresh exhibitors & sponsor companies for students who intend to pursue a degree or certification program relevant to the fresh produce industry.

Mission of the Scholarship

Allow all scopes and job areas that could be of benefit of the fresh produce supply chain to apply, not only the traditional agriculture degrees.

Purpose of the Scholarship

Support the broad range of skills and job functions needed by the next generation of fresh produce professionals.

Details of the Scholarship

  • The amount of the scholarship is $2,000 per recipient ($1,000/semester)
  • Applicant must plan to obtain a degree or certification from a college/university/vocational school that can be applied to the produce-industry supply chain.
    • If pursuing a bachelor’s degree; must be enrolled in 12+ hours of coursework.
  • Applicant must be a high school senior or presently enrolled in a college/university/vocational school.
  • High school applicants and college applicants must have maintained a minimum of 2.5 GPA or higher.

Viva Fresh Scholarship Submission Rules

Emphasis in judging will be placed on the responses to essay questions listed in the scholarship application, as well as on grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

  • Only one application is allowed per student in this scholarship competition.
  • Applicants must be employees of or the respective family of TIPA-members and Viva Fresh-contributor companies, such as exhibitors and sponsor companies.
  • Applicants must intend to enroll in an accredited educational institution for the 2024-25 academic year in a field pertaining to the fresh produce supply chain. This includes, but is not limited to agriculture, horticulture, crop science, logistics, mechanical engineering, ag sales, and ag marketing.
  • Applicants must complete all required information on the entry form. Applications that fail to meet the requirements or are incomplete will not be reviewed.
  • Answers must be the applicants’ original work and no more than 100 words in length per question.
  • Applications must be submitted via email to info@texipa.org or via fax (956) 581-3912 on or before 11:59 p.m. CST on 06/30/2024.
  • Questions regarding the scholarship should be directed to info@texipa.org.

The decision of the judges is final.

The deadline for the Viva Fresh scholarship is June 30th, 2024.

Incomplete applications will be returned to applications, with a request to rectify missing information within 5 days of the request or they forfeit the application. Applications are then reviewed by the Viva Fresh Open Golf Committee for final selection of qualified candidates. TIPA personnel will then contact the scholarship recipients, requesting the appropriate supporting documentation as well as a photograph for promotional and advertising purposes. Applicants who are not chosen during the initial application year may be considered for future years and are encouraged to apply again if qualification terms continue to apply.

For more information, contact:
Texas International Produce Association
Attn: Viva Fresh Scholarship Committee
901 Business Park Drive, Suite 500 Mission, Texas 78572
(Office) 956.581.8632
info@texipa.org