OXNARD, CA - The evolution of a powerful program is bringing increased opportunities to students in California thanks to Bobalu. The multi-generational berry supplier has continued to give back to its communities through its scholarship program, which will be accepting applications for 2024 this January.

“Being a fourth-generation farming family here in Oxnard, we feel it is important to continually give back to the community that has supported us for over 60 years,” notes Bobby Jones, Managing Partner at Bobalu. “One of the ways we enjoy giving back is by helping the next generation of leaders in our community. Providing scholarships for graduating high school seniors is so rewarding for our team and for those students being recognized for their hard work. Many of the scholarships we have already provided have gone to students who are the first in their families to attend college. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that we are really helping students follow their dreams.”

Last year, Bobalu’s staff worked directly with nine different schools to attend award ceremonies in person and distribute scholarships to the 23 students selected. This allowed the provider’s staff to meet the recipients in person and help continue to expand the impactful program.

In response to the large number of applications received last year, Bobalu has set out to make the process easier for both students and the staff reviewing criteria. The company invested in developing an online application process so students can submit their scholarship applications directly through its website. This advancement allows for the entire process to be streamlined and grants the students the ability to review the information needed before applying and simply uploading documents into the portal.

“We started this program in 2022 as a way to acknowledge our grandparents who started the company 60 years ago,” Bobby reflects. “That first year, we awarded nine scholarships here in Oxnard. Last year, we expanded the program to include high schools in Santa Maria, since we have a large farming presence in that community as well. We were so surprised to receive almost 100 applications from students in both communities.”

As we look to 2024, this integral program continues to evolve.

“Our newest focus for 2024 is to communicate the program to our employees so they know their graduating high school seniors can also apply for scholarships,” Bobby adds. “We have added a section on the application for that information to be included so we are able to potentially provide additional funds to our employees in the future.”

Bobalu is accepting applications from January–April 2024 for fall college enrollment.

Other exciting updates are coming from Bobalu’s fields as the grower is already beginning to produce fruit for its 2024 crop. For more updates from the team at Bobalu, keep clicking on AndNowUKnow!

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