The Vineyard Team Presents a New Class of Awardees
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.
The program includes multi-year scholarships to trade schools or two- or four-year schools, as well as a dedicated mentor who supports students throughout their collegiate career.
Vukmanic shares the exciting growth that the scholarship has seen in the past several years. “When the program started almost 10 years ago, we raised around $2,500 or $5,000. But now we’re up to the $80,000-per-year amount of what we’re giving out in scholarships.”
“We’ve given out over $436,000 in scholarships since 2015,” Vukmanic shared.
This year, the two recipients hail from Santa Barbara County: Kristal Martinez from Santa Maria and Martin Diaz from Los Alamos.
Diaz’s path to the scholarship was riddled with many challenges. The summer before his sophomore year of high school, his family home burned down. In the wake of the fire, his family moved to temporary housing 45 minutes away from school, putting strains on his friendships, soccer, and connections to his community.
“I committed to the long days. Every morning, I left at 6:30 a.m. to catch the bus, and I didn’t return until 10:45 p.m..” said Diaz. “Despite the exhaustion, I managed to finish the year with a 4.0 GPA.”
Diaz is dedicated to giving back to his community, taking time to volunteer with a nonprofit called Feed the Valley, where he delivers warm meals, groceries, and medications to senior citizens and low-income families.
“Every challenge I’ve faced has made me more determined to succeed, and I’m driven by the desire to honor my parents, especially my dad, who has spent much of his life working in the fields to support our family,” said Diaz.
He plans to attend Cal Poly S.L.O. to earn his degree in business, where he hopes to pursue a career in accounting while continuing to play soccer.
“As a first-generation student, I’m proud of how far I’ve come,” said Diaz. “Achieving my goals will not only help me to build a better future for myself, it will also allow me to give back to my family, who have given everything for me.”
Kristal Martinez also hails from Santa Barbara County and is a recipient of the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. Martinez recently completed her second year at California State University, Fresno, where she is earning a strong GPA and making strides toward her goal of becoming a physical therapist.
As a first generation college student, Martinez has built her path through perseverance and responsibility. Before college, she tutored to earn extra income and bought groceries during tough winter months when her parents couldn’t work, while also cleaning the house or cooking to ease her parent’s burden.
This same drive reflects her path at school. She is an active member of Physical Therapy Club, as well as worked alongside her parents in the vineyard, experiencing firsthand the adversities faced while picking grapes, when faced with mildew from unexpected rain.
Martinez also volunteers at the Valley Children’s Adaptive Sports: Wheelchair Basketball Showcase, where she supported athletes during high-speed games.
She was also recently accepted into the kinesiology exercise science program, a major milestone that reflects her hard work and dedication to school.
While working diligently and taking 18 units of course credits, she has also connected with the local clinic, applied for volunteer roles, and completed the qualifications necessary to work directly with patients.
“It truly makes me happy to be recognized for my passion for helping others and my goal of becoming a physical therapist,” Martinez said.
The other recipients also include Erid Garcia Vazquez, planning to attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Evelyn Navarro-Martinez, planning to attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Fabiola Covarrubias, planning to attend Mendocino Community College; Jessica Cortes-Cruz, planning to attend University of California, San Diego; and Karitina Manuel Rios, planning to attend Sonoma State University.
“We hear from a lot of our scholars that their parents move to the United States to give their children an opportunity at something better and something bigger. This scholarship program is a way that they are able to capitalize on that opportunity,” Vukmanic said. “Ninety-eight percent of these students are the first in their family to attend college.”
The Vineyard Team plans to continue to steadily grow their program over the next several years to support up to 30 students as they pursue their dreams through education. The 2025 scholarship celebration will take place on July 9 in Paso Robles. Click here for more information. To learn more and support the program, visit vineyardteam.org/scholarship.
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