Asparagus Club, NGA Award $26K in Scholarships

The Asparagus Club and the National Grocers Association (NGA) have awarded $26,000 in college scholarships to students who will be entering their junior or senior years or graduate school for the 2013-2014 academic year. The Asparagus Club scholarships are one-year awards that range in amounts up to $4,000, for up to two years. The awards may be used at any accredited, nonprofit college or university in the United States.

"This year, we are pleased to report we received 11 applicants from four different schools. The scholarship committee was very impressed with the quality of the students' academics and community achievements,” said Dan Shaul, Asparagus Club president and state director of the Missouri Grocers Association. “The University programs these students represented ranged from traditional food management marketing programs to food science based disciplines. The seven recipients of the scholarships represent four different schools, and we congratulate them on their academic achievement."

Since 1990, the Asparagus Club Scholarship Program has provided over $1 million in scholarships to students preparing for careers in the grocery industry. In just the past five years, the Asparagus Club awarded over $100,000 to young men and women planning careers in the industry.

"NGA is proud of its relationship with the Asparagus Club and is pleased that students from NGA's University Food Industry Coalition members applied for and received scholarships," said Peter Larkin, NGA president and CEO. “It truly reflects the industry's commitment to students in the next generation that are pursuing a career in the food industry.”

The new 2013-2014 recipients of $4,000 scholarships are:

• Megan Kavanagh, St. Joseph's University, majoring in food marketing co-op
• Celia Lynch, University of Florida, majoring in food science
• Kenneth Rivardo, St. Joseph's University, majoring in food marketing and communications
• Margaret King, St. Joseph's University, majoring in food marketing co-op

In addition, King was selected to receive an additional $1,000 as the recipient of the Thomas K. Zaucha Scholarship, given to the outstanding scholarship applicant.

The Asparagus Club also awarded four second-year scholarships in the amount of $3,000. Those recipients are:

• Garrett Ahlstrom, Western Michigan University, majoring in food and consumer packaged goods marketing
• Deni Shar, Arizona State University, majoring in business administration, the 2012-2013 Zaucha Scholar
• Mari Sisti, St. Joseph's University, majoring in food marketing

For more information on the Asparagus Club scholarship, contact Hannah Loy at NGA.

The National Grocers Association is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry.