The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has awarded its 2026 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarships to 21 students connected to the state’s grocery and convenience store industry, including employees and family members tied to The Giant Company, Karns Foods, Rutter’s and Sheetz. Each will receive a one-year, $2,500 scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year, with PFMA and scholarship sponsors providing $52,500 in total and bringing the program’s lifetime awards to more than $1.3 million.
“For more than 30 years, the Ridge Scholarship has helped PFMA members and their families take the next step in their education,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA. “This year’s recipients are pursuing an incredible range of fields and careers, and we’re proud to support their hard work and invest in what comes next for each of them.”
Recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges based on academic achievement, excellence of character, community involvement and leadership. Eligible applicants include qualifying employees of PFMA member companies, their children or stepchildren, and children or stepchildren of PFMA member store owners.
The scholarship honors the parents of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge: Thomas R. Ridge, a member of the Pennsylvania food industry for 25 years, and his wife, Laura, a strong advocate for the education of their children, Tom, David and Vikki.
This year’s recipients, with their sponsoring organizations, are:
- Caden Chow of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, Boston University, biomedical engineering (The Giant Company);
- Ella Campisano of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, Mount St. Mary’s University, biochemistry and chemistry (The Giant Company);
- Ella Heap of York, Pennsylvania, West Chester University, political science (The Giant Company);
- Cole Klein of Newville, Pennsylvania, Penn State University, finance (The Giant Company);
- Shelby Zimmerman of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University, art education with K-12 certification (The Giant Company);
- Mia Catania of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Penn State University, physics (Karns Foods);
- Kylee Thomas of Mountville, Pennsylvania, Messiah University, actuarial science (Rutter’s);
- Travis Noecker, of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, Arcadia University, biology (Rutter’s);
- Allison Brunner, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University, psychology (Rutter’s);
- Peter Wasef, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, West Chester University, political science (Rutter’s);
- Brandon Thomas, of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, Millersville University, emergency management (Rutter’s);
- Kaylee Venslosky, of Colver, Pennsylvania, Mount Aloysius College, nursing (Sheetz);
- Mattie Burket, of East Freedom, Pennsylvania, Mount Aloysius College, ultrasonography (Sheetz);
- Venkat Subramanian, of Bridgewater, New Jersey, Princeton University, computer science (David and Kathy McCorkle);
- Tayla Dusharm, of Millerstown, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University, social work (PFMA);
- Jordan Nell, of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Liberty University, business with a project management concentration (PFMA);
- Lydia DeFacis, of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown College, occupational therapy (PFMA);
- Maya Bava, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, molecular biology (PFMA);
- Lydia Herr, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Messiah University, psychology (PFMA);
- Margaret Gotfredson, of Abingdon, Maryland, Brigham Young University, communication disorders (PFMA);
- Spencer Faircloth, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, political science (PFMA).
PFMA, a statewide trade association, advocates on behalf of more than 600 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. Its members operate more than 3,000 stores and employ more than 350,000 Pennsylvanians.