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 Joint Labor Management Committee
of the Retail Food Industry

2026 Tuition Award Program Winners

The Dority-Vaughn Tuition Award Program announced its inaugural group of tuition award winners. The program was launched in 2024, with the first set of award winners announced in 2025. In the first year, we awarded five scholarships. This year we are proud to be awarding seven scholarships.

All seven of our winners are exemplary students who have many academic, leadership and volunteer experiences, and their essays on successful labor-management relations in the workplace were very insightful. Four of our winners are UFCW members who work for JLMC employers, and three are the dependents of UFCW members who work for JLMC employers.

Congratulations to our second group of winners! We wish you the best of luck in college!

  • Essence Baker, who has worked for Kroger since 2020, is a member of UFCW Local 1529. Essence is a graduate of Mississippi State University and will attend dental school in the fall of 2026.
  • Caleb Mastruserio has worked for Kroger since 2021 and is a member of UFCW Local 75. Caleb is a full-time student at the University of Cincinnati.
  • Arushi Patel is the daughter of Kinnari Patel, who has worked for Kroger since 1999 and is a member of UFCW Local 324. Arushi attends University of California, Riverside.
  • Julia DeBottis has worked for Top’s since 2022 and is a member of UFCW Local One. Julia attends St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY.
  • Corina Dunn has worked for Top’s since 2022, and is a member of UFCW Local One. She attends SUNY Geneseo in New York.
  • Desvray Beasley is the daughter of Daryl Beasley, who has worked for Stop & Shop since 2011 and is a member of UFCW Local 1445. Desvray attends Regis College in Weston, MA.
  • Sydney Willis is the daughter of Michelle Willis, who has worked for Stop & Shop since 2022 and is a member of UFCW Local 328. Sydney attends the University of Rhode Island.

Each of these awardees will be full-time students in the fall of 2026 and have impressive records of academic achievements and leadership and they or their parents have strong employment experience at a JLMC employer and as a Local Union member.

Applications for 2027 scholarships will be available on this site in late 2026 and will be due by February 28, 2027 (subject to approval by the Board of Trustees).