UFCW Local 663 recognizes how important education is for the future growth of the young people in this country. We awarded ten education grants to our members or their dependents to further their education in 2024. The winners receive a one-time educational grant to be applied to the verified school for tuition, book, or room and board. Qualifications include that the student will be attending a community or technical college or university, be a member or dependent of a member.
I am very grateful for this college grant from my union – UFCW Local 663, thank you! I graduated from DeLaSalle High School in May and will be attending Luther College in Decora, Iowa. I plan to major in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.
I graduated from Lakeville North High School and am now attending North Dakota State University currently studying Strategic Communications with a minor in Psychology. I am in a Sorority and I love the college experience. I am Nannying this summer for a family with 3 children and working at a Hair Salon as a Receptionist to earn money for school. I greatly appreciate the $1,000 Educational Grant for school.
I am a first-generation college student, and I am working multiple jobs through college. I am pursuing a career in Information Technology and working toward earning certifications before graduating in Spring of 2025. Currently, I am looking at working in the Information Technology department at Sanford Health after graduation.
Lizeth Hernandez Garcia is a 2024 graduate from Austin High School. Lizeth lives with her 2 younger sisters and her dad Fidel. Lizeth plans on attending Riverland and then transferring to Winona for her elementary education degree. Lizeth gained a love for teaching from some of her favorite teachers and is looking forward to starting her own teaching journey in the future.
At the age of 16 I had the privilege of getting to work as a nursing assistant in a dementia unit. During this time I was able to see first hand what a difference one nurse could make in an individual’s life and it inspired me to choose a career in nursing. Working in a dementia unit has changed my perception of the world. Getting to see and experience first hand the positive impact on patients quality of life and overall health is a reward in itself. Since experiencing this at 16 years old, I’ve known with everything in me that this is something I want to do. I know the need my community has for nurses who want to pursue long term care and I love that I get the opportunity to serve my community in such a unique and personal way.
I worked with Knowlan’s Festival Foods for 9 years, from 2014 to 2023 (Andover from 2014-2021, Brooklyn Park 2021-2023). During that time, I was able to hold a number of positions, ranging from bagger to Manager on Duty. All of these provided me with lifelong skills that have helped me both professionally and personally. While working at Festival, I was able to complete my undergraduate degree in Political Science and apply for a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning.
I began pursuing my Master’s in September of 2022, and am currently serving as the City Planner for the City of Corcoran. My goal is to complete this degree in December and continue to grow in my career as a City Planner.
Katie is 19 and will be in her second year at North Iowa Area Community College. She will get her AA Degree there and then plans to transfer to the University of Northern Iowa to major in social work. She also works part time at a daycare and on weekends waitresses at a local restaurant.
My name is Jacqueline Menjivar and I’m an upcoming sophomore at Southwest Minnesota State University. I major in psychology and am involved in Psychology Club at SMSU. I am extremely grateful to have received this scholarship and I’d like to thank UFCW Local 663 as it will greatly help me in pursuing my education! I am very fortunate to be the first in my family to attend university. The support and encouragement I receive from my parents motivates me to pursue and successfully graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After graduating, I hope to get into a masters program and eventually pursue a career in children’s therapy.
I’ve been working in the deli at Kowalski’s for about 6 years. I’m majoring in Psychology and I’d like to pursue a career helping people with addiction issues. I’m planning to graduate in 2026.
My name is Nate Vodovnik and I graduated from Kennedy High School in 2023. After earning my AA through PSEO at Normandale Community College, I’m now a Junior at the University of MN, Duluth studying Statistics and Finance. Following graduation, I plan to pursue a career in Data Science and raise a family. This generous grant helps make that all possible.