The Southeast Produce Council has announced this year’s Vorhees Vision Scholarship recipients.
The SEPC Vorhees Vision Scholarship was created to reward the achievements of young individuals who demonstrate a true entrepreneurial spirit in their lives as they pursue their educational goals. This scholarship is named in honor of the late Terry L. Vorhees, founder and first executive director of the Southeast Produce Council. Because of his vision and efforts, the Southeast Produce Council became and remains one of the best resources in the produce industry.
All SEPC scholarships are awarded to applicants who meet the application criteria of having a parent or grandparent who is a corporate member in good standing with the SEPC, which means they have been on the SEPC membership roster for at least 12 months and have personally attended at least one SEPC event within the last 12 months.
SEPC’s Vorhees Vision Scholarship first-place recipient will receive a one-time scholarship of $10,000 to their enrolling college/university. The second-place recipient will receive a $1,500 scholarship while the third-place recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
2024 Vorhees Vision Scholarship recipients
- First place – Avery White, daughter of Johnny and Melanie White | Shuman Farms
- Second place – Kaylee Nelsen, daughter of Sean Nelsen | Fowler Packing
- Third place – Emma Jackson, daughter of Rob Jackson | Red Sun Farms
Applicants must be either graduating high school seniors or enrolled as college freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors and must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Other selection factors include letters of recommendation, SAT or ACT scores, leadership and community service involvement and the quality of their essay.
The essay topic was: “This year SEPC is celebrating ‘The Unseen Heroes’ – the men and women who serve our industry by plowing fields, harvesting crops, sorting produce, loading trucks, stocking shelves and prepping meals. Some heroes wear camouflage, but within our industry they wear coveralls, work boots, gloves, aprons, hairnets, chef coats, safety glasses and wide-brimmed hats. In your experience, how have you witnessed the unseen side of the produce industry? What have you learned from this? What are the most admirable attributes of ‘The Unseen Heroes’ in the produce industry? How can you use those attributes to impact your community positively?”
Read more produce news from The Shelby Report.
