Santa Maria CWA Scholarships
California Women for Agriculture Santa Maria Chapter annually awards scholarships for college & CTE programs to students in the Shell Beach to Santa Ynez area pursuing careers in Agriculture.
Through the generosity of our donors, Santa Maria CWA was able to invest well over $360,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and University students through its scholarship program.
Scholarship amounts and number of recipients vary each year, though the Santa Maria Chapter makes approximately ten awards in amounts ranging from $250 to $2,000.
2025 Scholarship
PROGRAM ON HOLD
Program will be on hold until funds are raised.
Meet Our Previous Recipients.
Sonora Robertson
My name is Sonora Robertson, I was born in Santa Maria and have lived here all my life. Growing up in an area with so much agriculture, my freshman year I decided to become involved in Righetti FFA. During my time in FFA I have held various leadership positions including FFA President, and I have competed in multiple public speaking and agriculture-based competitions. In addition to my FFA responsibilities, I volunteer with the Warrior Goat Program which allows special education students to raise goats for the Santa Barbara County Fair. My plan for the future is to become a large animal veterinarian and continue working with the local agriculture community.
Rachel Mendez
Hi! My name is Rachel Mendez and I am a 2020 graduate of St. Joseph High School. I have been an active member of 4-H since I was five years old. I have been the Teen Leader of the sheep and goat group for Nipomo 4-H for the previous five years. I have exhibited sheep, goats, and pigs at the Santa Barbara County Fair and many shows throughout California. I enjoy volunteering, especially for the Warrior Goat Program, which pairs special needs students with animals for the county fair. At St. Joseph High School, I am the President of the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation as well as a member of several other clubs. In the fall, I will be attending Texas A&M University and plan to major in Agricultural Business. Thank you so much for this opportunity! It means a lot to me!
Sebastian Pinon
Sebastian is a senior at Pioneer Valley High School, he is Chapter Treasurer in the FFA Organization and an active member in the Altrusa of the Central Coast. Sebastian spends his time working with his market steer and replacement heifer. Additionally, Sebastian enjoys growing a variety of crops at his FFA Advisor’s farm. Sebastian also enjoys helping his community by volunteering at his local food bank and agricultural related events. This fall, Sebastian will be attending St. Edward’s University in Austin TX, Congratulations Sebastian!
Ariana Arias
I was born and raised in Santa Maria, where I attended Santa Maria High School. I was involved in 4-H and FFA from a young age, and my experiences and passion for the agriculture industry have grown since. Currently, I am a 2nd year Cal Poly, SLO student majoring in Agricultural Business with a minor in Agricultural Communications. I am also the Undergraduate Student Assistant for South Coast Region FFA and will be interning for John Deere this summer as the Air Seeding Product Line Marketing Intern. My most recent career interests are international sales and global sustainability within the agriculture industry. After receiving my bachelor’s, I plan on pursuing a master’s degree in international agriculture or global development. From raising livestock, to attaining leadership positions, to hands-on learning about agriculture in the classroom, this industry has provided so many unique and rewarding opportunities.
Angela Cruz
Words cannot describe how thankful and appreciative I am to have been chosen to receive this scholarship. My passion for agriculture began at a young age. I grew up working in the fields every summer and weekend alongside my father who was a strawberry grower. My dad would remind me, “We will always have to work hard in order to obtain what we want”. I am appreciative of this life lesson, that is well applied to my life at this moment, as I strive for higher education. When I was working in the fields with my father, I realized how beautiful it was to see and help make plants grow. During the growing season, there are many possibilities of crop growth to go wrong and also many opportunities to make it a successful growing season. The ups and downs are what make farming an amazing learning lesson. Therefore, I would like to one day become a sustainable grower. My inspiration comes from early experiences alongside my father, who was an uneducated, undocumented successful strawberry grower. These humble beginnings led me to pursue higher education in AG. I am currently an Agricultural Science major at California Polytechnic State University with a minor in plant protection. I work for the Cal Poly strawberry center, where we run diagnostics on strawberry plants, soil, and I participate in various trials on strawberry plants. I am thankful for such organizations such as CWA that allow and support students like myself to continue higher education.