WAEF and Stemilt Team Up to Offer Six Local Students Scholarships

The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) and Stemilt Growers have combined forces to provide six local students with various college scholarships.

On Monday, July 24, local students, teachers, parents and organizations gathered to award the recipients for their academic achievements, merit and overall excellence at a luncheon held at the Wenatchee Convention Center. WAEF will also hold a luncheon in Yakima on July 31.

WAEF is a charity of Washington’s tree fruit industry that has awarded just under $1 million in scholarships to 250 students for the upcoming school year. Stemilt has partnered with WAEF for the last 10 years to award students for their successes in and outside of the classroom. Stemilt has created three scholarships: the Thomas K. Mathison Memorial Scholarship, the Renewal Scholarship and Single Year Scholarship.

This year, two students received the Thomas K. Mathison Memorial Scholarship, which is based on high moral character. The scholarship is awarded to students who have a history of making choices that are morally sound and have values that align with Stemilt’s founder, Tom Mathison, who was committed to his community and dedicated to his family.

These $20,000 scholarships were granted to Stemilt employee, Marcos Quiroz, and Martimeano Villa. Quiroz is currently pursuing a degree in tree fruit management and while working at Stemilt in Research & Development. Villa is a senior at Toppenish High School with a 3.96 grade point average despite facing many hardships in his high school career.

The other Stemilt scholarship recipients are: Amaris Casarez, a current student at UCLA who is on a path towards a degree in chemistry and plans to continue onto medical school; Edgar Apolinar a graduating senior from Wenatchee High School who plans to study law; Daisy Montejano, a Wenatchee High School graduate who plans on following a path towards architecture or another related field; Jasmin Guerrero is a senior at Eastmont High School, who plans on attending Washington State University to pursue a career path in criminal justice; Sami Everhart, a Wenatchee High School grad who graduated with a 3.97 GPA and plans on working in communications and graphic design; and Jose Torres Arellano, a graduate from Eastmont High School who plans on becoming an electric engineer. Each of these students will be receiving between $2,500 and $4,000 to help with college costs this fall.

“The WAEF programs gives many the opportunity that may have not been there before,” says West Mathison, president of Stemilt Growers. “We are ecstatic to support the children of Stemilt’s team members as they are the future for the industry.”

Earlier this month, Stemilt presented WAEF with a check for $51,800 that was raised by the 9th Annual Thomas K. Mathison Golf Tournament that was held at the Wenatchee Golf and Country Club. This money will fund the Thomas K. Mathison Memorial Scholarship this year and years to come.