Setton Pistachio announced its 2025 Earth Day Scholarship contest winners on Monday, awarding money to over a dozen students who will be graduating from high school and will be pursuing a college education.
This is the third year Setton Pistachio has held its Earth Day Scholarship contest and had expanded the field from three schools to five.
The big picture: Setton Farms partnered with Porterville High School, Monache High School, Harmony Magnet Academy, Strathmore High School and Granite Hills High School to award scholarships to seniors.
- Students were tasked with creating a painting, sculpture, video, clothing piece or other item that is focused on sustainability in the Central Valley. They were required to use pistachio kernels or shells that were provided by Setton Pistachio.
- The first-place winner received $5,000, while the second-place and third-place winners received $2,500 and $1,000, respectively. Setton Pistachio also awarded $750 to students named as honorable mentions and gave out $750 for a special recognition award.
Who won: The first-place prize was awarded to Alexa Cruz from Strathmore High School, and Edith Robledo of Porterville High School came in second.
- Five students were named as the third place winners: Hayley Shaw of Harmony Magnet Academy, Leidi Valle of Strathmore High School, Alexandra Salbador of Granite Hills High School, Leticia Flores Coello of Monache High School and Daisy Aldaco of Strathmore High School.
- The honorable mentions are Aidan Jacobo of Porterville High School, Danny Rodriguez of Harmony Magnet Academy, Alexandra Carino of Harmony Magnet Academy, Linda Astorga of Granite Hills High School and Agustin Rodriguez of Porterville High School.
- Marina Navarro-Alvarez of Granite Hills High School received the special recognition award, and all other students who participated in the contest received a participation award of $250.
Zoom out: Since Setton Farms launched its College Education Scholarship Program in 2016, nearly 80 scholarships have been awarded to employees, local community members and students totalling nearly $180,000.
What they’re saying: “Our primary goal continues to be supporting local students in pursuing their college degree,” said Setton Farms COO Mia Cohen. “We’re grateful for all the students who participated in the contest, creating extraordinary projects that reflect a unique and thoughtful take on sustainability in agriculture.”
