Scholarship Program Supports Agricultural Workers & Their Families
July 7, 2025 (Napa, CA) — Ag Health Benefits Alliance (AHBA) is pleased to announce it has awarded $55,000 in grants to this year’s recipients of its scholarship program, the AHBA Educational Foundation, LLC. The program offers scholarship grant opportunities for AHBA Member Employers’ eligible employee plan participants, their spouses, and children or grandchildren.
Since its formation in 2020, the AHBA Educational Foundation has awarded over $240,000 in scholarships to 77 applicants. Michael Wolf, an AHBA board member and founder, says, “Once again, we were very fortunate to have an exceptional group of applicants from our agricultural community. In addition to our outstanding academic award winners, we’re excited to be providing funding for vocational training and licensing to a group of determined and dedicated members of the AHBA health insurance program. It is especially gratifying to see how past recipients have grown in the last year and to be able to help them through one more year on their journey.”
“This year, we are pleased to award 15 Academic scholarships, and an additional 10 Vocational awards for applicants to attend trade schools and certificate programs,” says Foundation President, Rebecca Barlow. This year’s award winners are:
| Awardee | School | Goal/Degree |
| Omar Alfaro | San Jose State | Business Marketing |
| Angelina Caporale | Creative Minds Institute LLC | Jungian Life Coaching |
| Fernando Delgado | A Class Truck Driving School | Class A License |
| Ariani Diaz Hernandez | San Diego State | Public Health |
| Tilly Dodd | Montana State/ UC Davis | Sustainable Agriculture |
| Gerardo Gabriel Portera | UC Davis Continuing Education | Vineyard Mgmt & Wine Market |
| Luisa Gallegos | NorthBay Nursing | Nursing |
| Luis Garcia Rodriguez | Perfect Truck School Inc | Class A License |
| Evelyn Gutierrez Ojeda | Napa Valley College | Business Administration |
| Teresa Madrigal Aguilar | American College of Education | Masters in Educational Literacy |
| David Marcelo Amezcua | Napa Valley College | Viticulture |
| Jasmin Miranda Perez | Napa Valley College | Radiology |
| Lyzet Montanez Hurtado | Stanford University | Latin American Studies |
| Gonzalo Murillo De Haro | MTS Training Academy Inc | Class A License |
| Jazmin Ortiz Ayala | Sacramento State | Accountancy/Human Resources |
| Nicola Pellacani | Sonoma State | Wine Business MBA |
| Daniel Pelyao | Universal Technical Institute | Diesel Mechanic |
| Justice Penterman | UC Berkeley | Molecular and Cell Biology |
| Ruby Solano | Napa Valley College | Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Monica Stiles | Santa Rosa College/NV Wine Academy | Wine Business Marketing, WSET |
| Cristofer Trejo Mares | Napa Valley College | Viticulture |
| Olivia Trejo Mares | Napa Valley College | Viticulture |
| Abigail Wetzel | UC Berkeley | Geology |
About Ag Health Benefits Alliance
Ag Health Benefits Alliance (AHBA) has been providing affordable health insurance and other benefits to agricultural employees in Northern California since its founding as the California Winegrower Foundation in 1972. Started by a group of forward-thinking winegrape growers who shared a common goal of improving working conditions, AHBA is a non-profit member organization that supports both employers and employees. AHBA’s members were dedicated to providing health benefits for employees, including seasonal workers, long before required by law. Today, AHBA provides those benefits to more than 1,500 agricultural employees.
