Cooper’s Hawk Scholarship for BIPOC American Wine Professionals
![A collage of a man smiling.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/somm-foundation.png?w=2000&h=550&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.3878&dm=1708449471&s=0f1541d5b720cf1c22302d2e668877da 2000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/somm-foundation.png?w=1600&h=422&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.3878&dm=1708449471&s=1e787a719f8335b8b767a45a8edf3686 1600w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/somm-foundation.png?w=1000&h=400&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.3878&dm=1708449471&s=542045821448db88839a4cfc5f2837d7 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/somm-foundation.png?w=600&h=500&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.3878&dm=1708449471&s=9404d096262aba2571430d096fd02e7f 600w)
Meet the exceptional recipients of the Cooper’s Hawk Scholarship for BIPOC American Wine Professionals. We look forward to your continued success in the wine industry as we work together to make it a more diverse and equitable community for all in partnership with the SommFoundation. Apply for the 2024 scholarship in June. Stay tuned for more information!
Making wine education accessible to all is one of our key missions at Cooper’s Hawk, and we are thrilled to present these talented individuals with the opportunity to further their education and career in the wine industry.
- Mireya Aguilar - San Diego, CA
- Sabrina Cerquera - Portland, OR
- Ali Laivadhana - Honolulu, HI
- Colby Mitchell - Charlotte, NC
- Alexandra Morton - Austin, TX
- Isabel Pacheco - Santee, CA
- Rebeca Pinhas - New Orleans LA
- Dhruv Singh - Hood River, OR
- Brittany Vincent - Landover, MD
- Holli Wright - Frankfort, IL
"Wine is such an individualistic style, not every style is the same, just as not every individual is the same. If we have different individuals working within the wine industry, more variety would be available and different wine styles could be highlighted within the industry. Diversity is what makes our world great, it would be fantastic if more POC were highlighted within the wine industry." - Mireya Aguilar
"Being able to break stigmas or even biases around wine. That can be from my family and friends, such as showing them a new wine or sending me a picture of something new they have tried. Seeing that I impacted how they wanted to purchase/drink that particular wine brightens my eyes. Even in the current landscape where I currently work, customers may not be used to seeing a young black wine worker in a wine shop, and they can be hesitant when asking me for recommendations. Being able to recommend great wine consistently when given the opportunity helps create a great relationship where customers seek me out and trust what I say." - Colby Mitchell
"It is an honor to spend some one on one time with Emily Wines. Aside from the financial support, mentorship is a huge necessity for the wine community. Career advice and moral support are necessary tools for better time management and orientation. To have someone with her extensive experience will help me make the most of my career moving forward." - Isabel Pacheco
"It is important that the table I sit around and serve as well as the people I work with represent the diversity of backgrounds and minds that exist in my communities. I want to uplift all kinds of people to enjoy wine through creative educational experiences. Exceptional, diverse talent at all levels of the wine industry can help cultivate safety, cooperation, and empowerment." - Dhruv Singh
"When I first came into the wine Industry I didn't see anyone who looked like me. Now that I have active roles within the industry people of all creeds come to me for advice and mentorship. I'm glad I can be part of the diversity shift that is happening within the community and show other minorities there's room for us all here." - Brittany Vincent
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be mentored by Emily. I see her as an invaluable resource, and I am eager to learn from her expertise." - Holli Wright
![A woman in glasses sitting at a table with a glass of wine.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Isabel-2_2024-01-12-183400.jpg?w=1203&h=781.95&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=4e310ba249b01926072cdbbbe3d85a43 1203w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Isabel-2_2024-01-12-183400.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=db4630ff4c89738e6588f939a21a9d1e 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Isabel-2_2024-01-12-183400.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=98bce49c3a7cfac720516e5bc20aaa56 600w)
![A woman holding a glass of wine.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Alicia-2_2024-01-12-183402.jpg?w=1092&h=709.8&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=7ad888de861ad212389c841e27db885f 1092w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Alicia-2_2024-01-12-183402.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=01fbb01b9b7cf5ff8e7e9cdadf33f52c 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Alicia-2_2024-01-12-183402.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=63624774ec261fdaa24d749c9fa30237 600w)
![A man taking a selfie in a vineyard.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Colby-2_2024-01-12-183404.jpg?w=298&h=193.7&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449468&s=b846a0765c6f3797ccddbcc3a2417da5 298w)
![A woman smiling at camera.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/IMG_0703_2024-01-12-183408.jpg?w=2000&h=1300&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=c414a941ced1fcb0e79a732e9c524e8c 2000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/IMG_0703_2024-01-12-183408.jpg?w=1600&h=1040&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=025102361b229236c4a0fc048eb31c13 1600w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/IMG_0703_2024-01-12-183408.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=62fba1c5310f3f61d867aa31a00c32c2 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/IMG_0703_2024-01-12-183408.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=4d87a76251444cb192127e36e67b0d0d 600w)
![A man wearing an apron holding a bottle of wine.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Dhruv-Singh-2_2024-01-12-183411.jpg?w=1140&h=741&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=ebb689ebe91a6bb6bd54f1a3bb13c191 1140w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Dhruv-Singh-2_2024-01-12-183411.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=833d56ae35c3eebf4629c146c30a8e95 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Dhruv-Singh-2_2024-01-12-183411.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=10a8d92371fd0ac8052b467130165348 600w)
![A woman sitting in a chair holding a glass of liquid.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Rebeca-Pinhas-2_2024-01-12-183414.jpg?w=1170&h=760.5&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=c12c8bb27514532b1fc0a9796e45aa5d 1170w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Rebeca-Pinhas-2_2024-01-12-183414.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=04ce912a850d27ea54701225b799d494 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Rebeca-Pinhas-2_2024-01-12-183414.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449467&s=e2c8867e421dfd90ba9e8d9d942362fc 600w)
![A woman holding a bottle of wine.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Mireya_2024-01-12-183416.jpg?w=480&h=312&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=8fd35021c4ae25c73f1f3e2004495bb2 480w)
![A woman holding a bottle of wine.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Holli-2_2024-01-12-183418.jpg?w=1585&h=1030.25&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=c2a4d9b223aadcd3f9533f8014874f40 1585w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Holli-2_2024-01-12-183418.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=544a5282499c1a8380f64d8cce8b3683 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Holli-2_2024-01-12-183418.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449466&s=32bbd1f9646323dda1ab6e8b9025d8ed 600w)
![A woman in a dress standing next to a stack of barrels.](https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Brittany-Jinell-Vincent-2_2024-01-12-183422.jpg?w=1536&h=998.4&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449465&s=1ce3f7c5bc5563872f21f4f3cd213e29 1536w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Brittany-Jinell-Vincent-2_2024-01-12-183422.jpg?w=1000&h=650&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449465&s=aa5e604703a65ae03502155567b253b0 1000w, https://chwimages.chwinery.com/uploads/general/Brittany-Jinell-Vincent-2_2024-01-12-183422.jpg?w=600&h=390&q=85&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1708449465&s=bb397732cdbceebd4a347f5d2ac3b03b 600w)
This scholarship is to assist BIPOC Americans who are passionate about pursuing a career in the wine industry. Scholarship amount is $1000. Ten scholarships will be awarded. Whether you are pursuing an entry-level or higher-level program, this scholarship is open to all applicants. In addition to the scholarship, Cooper’s Hawk Master Sommelier, Emily Wines, will offer personal mentorship to each recipient. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on demonstration of need and merit.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must work and reside in the United States
- Must identify as Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, or Person of Color
- Cooper’s Hawk team members are eligible to apply, but must disclose the relationship with Cooper’s Hawk in their application.
Learn more about the scholarship on the SommFoundation's website.