FPSA Announces 2023 Foundation Career Development Scholarship Winners

The Foundation of the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FFPSA) has announced 20 recipients of $10,000 Career Development Scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The winners are employees of FPSA member companies and family members and include: Alaina Broughton (Ace Sanitary), Elijah O’Connor (Grote Company), Helena Bohmann (Alfa Laval Inc.), Mayank Raghuwanshi (Intralox LLC), Charles Konkolics (The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company), Christina Bencin (PSC/C.A. Litzler Co.), Matthew Croke (Cybertrol Engineering), Braewyn Arceneaux (Intralox LLC), Kaelyn Schreiner (JBT Corp.), Kaitlyn Drake (Scan American Corp.), Sofia Minutoli (The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company), Louis Klemp (Weber Inc.), Chase Hartley (Alfa Laval Inc.), Reagan Carlton (PFI), Jacqueline Park (Dennis Group), Lucas Bowie (Multivac Inc.), Paul Clegg (Multivac Inc.), Brooklynn Nieland (Festo Corp.), Aistis Boertje (Festo Corp.), and Elisabeth Wilson (Urschel Laboratories Inc.).

Winners were selected from a pool of 238 applicants for this year’s scholarship program, representing an increase of nearly 50% from 2022, mostly due to the expansion of the scholarship program.

“In an effort to further strengthen our support of the academic achievement of colleagues and family members, this year the FPSA Foundation proudly increased the number of scholarships from 15 to 20 while also doubling the amount of the scholarship from $5,000 to $10,000,” said Jarrod McCarroll, chairman of the FPSA Foundation and CEO of Weber Inc.

“For years, the Career Development Scholarship program has provided valuable assistance in helping promising students to reach their goals. We’re proud to be able to expand this program for applicants this year and for many years to come. We congratulate the winners on their achievements and look forward to where they will take these skills in what are sure to be successful careers. We encourage all eligible individuals to apply again when the application period for the 2024-2025 academic year opens in January 2024,” he added.

The Foundation of FPSA established the Career Development Scholarship Program in 2005 as a benefit to FPSA members designed to promote the career and professional development of member employees who work full time and their immediate family members. Since its inception in 1983, the FPSA Foundation has focused on supporting the growth of the food industry. During this time, it has touched the lives of more than 2,000 individuals in the early years of their careers through its grants, scholarships, and stipends. Many of these individuals are now employed in food, dairy, and meat science programs in US universities, in major food and beverage processing companies, and many in FPSA member companies.

For more information on the Career Development Scholarship program or any other FPSA member benefits, please contact Senior Vice President of Membership & Business Development, Andy Drennan at [email protected].