Scholarship Program Supports Agricultural Workers & Their Families
June 11, 2026 (Napa Valley, CA) — Ag Health Benefits Alliance (AHBA) is pleased to announce it is awarding $65,320 in grants to this year’s recipients of its scholarship program, the AHBA Educational Foundation, LLC. The program offers scholarship grant opportunities for AHBA Members’ eligible employee plan participants, their spouses, and children or grandchildren. With these awards, the AHBA Educational Foundation will have awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to more than 100 applicants since its founding in 2020.
AHBA board member and founder of the program Michael Wolf says “As the AHBA scholarship program for members of our health insurance plans continue to grow, so does the diversity of interests of our remarkable applicants. These amazing students, who largely grew up in families who earned their living in agricultural professions, see their own futures in health care, education, culinary trades, civil engineering, and the wine industry, among other pursuits. Their universal respect for their parents and their appreciation for this opportunity is inspiring. We’re privileged to be able to help them as they begin their journey.”
This year’s award winners include:
| Santiago Mendoza Tapia | Santa Rosa Junior College | Criminal Justice & Enology |
| Evelyn Gutierrez Ojeda | Sacramento State | Business Admin in Marketing |
| Giselle Torres Gonzalez | Mendocino College | Allied Health |
| Cynthia Cortes | Napa Valley College | Pre-Health & Psychology |
| Dayron Solis | UC Davis | Civil Engineering |
| Jose Rodriguez | Solano Community College | Welding |
| Tania Navarrete Rios | UC Berkeley | Civil/Environmental Engineering |
| Ariani Diaz Hernandez | San Diego State University | Public Health, BS |
| Trinity Penterman | San Francisco State University | Cinema & Film |
| Luis Soriano Flores | Sacramento State | Health Science and Deaf Studies |
| Alexa Navarrete-Avila | UC Davis | Civil Engineering |
| Crystal Montanez Rodriguez | Sacramento State | Business Administration |
| Brianna Rose Hernandez Flores | Napa Valley College | Viticulture & Enology |
| Yamilette Esmerio | UC Davis | Biology |
| Monica Stiles | Santa Rosa Junior College | Wine Marketing |
| Dayana Hernandez | Pepperdine University | Business Administration |
| Andrea Villa | Napa Valley College | Winemaking |
| Catherine Salazar | Southern New Hampshire University | Accounting |
| Maria Guadalupe Mendez | Aprende Institute | Gastronomy |
| Tyson Carpenter | CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing | High School Chemistry Teacher |
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 have been dedicated to providing health benefits for employees, including seasonal workers, long before required by law. Today, AHBA provides those benefits to more than 1,200 agricultural employees.
