The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has awarded $70,000 in scholarships to students toward their goals in higher education.
Established in 1996, Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship Fund honors the parents of former Gov. Tom Ridge. Thomas R. Ridge was a member of the food industry for 25 years, and his wife, Laura, was an advocate of education for their three children. To date, 654 students have earned Ridge Scholarships, and almost $1.3 million has been awarded.
Recipients are chosen by a panel of judges who review each applicant’s academic record, school and community involvement, recommendations and a submitted essay. Current employees, their children and the children of company owners who are PFMA members are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Scholarship funds come from PFMA’s Education Trust and sponsoring PFMA member companies, such as The Giant Co., Karns Foods, Rutter’s, Sheetz and Wawa.
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This year’s PFMA scholarship recipients and each sponsoring business are:
- PFMA – Carl Andreas III of Allentown; Laila Buckman of Haymarket, Virginia; Noah Gadsby of Bellefonte; Kayla Gaston of Brookville; Harlie Marks of New Castle; Riya Patel of Ellicott City, Maryland; Parker Williams of Hanover; and Aubryana Zettlemoyer of Shamokin Dam.
- The Giant Co. – Devon Levin of Philadelphia; Peter Murnane of West Chester; Jessica Palacios of New Market, Virginia; Ryan Wilson of Mechanicsburg; and Jena Wood of Kennett Square.
- Karns – Emily Sheriff of Landisburg;
- Rutter’s – Alexis Benner of Reedsville; Mason Bowersox of York; Alexia Brubaker of Manchester; Gilbeiry Marte Diaz of Martinsburg, West Virginia; Jesse Hoopes of Paradise; Travis Noecker of Hamburg; Hannah Rill of Red Lion; and Sandy Zheng of Spring Grove.
- Sheetz – Helayna Baer of Cheswick; and Nicholas Santucci of Pittsburgh.
- Wawa – Nancy Colwell of Hayes, Virginia; Lindsay Fittipaldi of Egg Harbor, New Jersey; Emily Marks of Douglassville; and Casey Mazur of Middlesex, New Jersey.
“Congratulations to these outstanding students on this well-deserved recognition,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA.
“This investment in their education not only recognizes their hard work and dedication but also underscores our commitment to supporting the leaders of tomorrow. We believe in their potential to make a significant impact and are proud to be part of their academic journey.”
