The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) is pleased to announce 24 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship recipients for 2017-18. The winners are invited to attend the 2017 PFMA Conference on May 8 in Hershey to meet Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security.
An independent judging panel selected the recipients based on their academic success, community and
school activities, an essay and recommendations from their teachers and employers. The winners are:
Derek Arnold, Altoona, PA
Member: Sheetz, Inc.
Sponsored by Sheetz, Inc.
Rebecca Beall, Stewartstown, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores/Martin’s
Sponsored by Giant Food Stores, LLC
Maria Daly, Malvern, PA
Member: Wawa, Inc.
Sponsored by Wawa, Inc.
Patrick Fagan, Camp Hill, PA
Member: Karns Quality Foods, Ltd.
Sponsored by Karns Quality Foods, Ltd.
Andrew Gibson, Fairview, PA
Member: Hillandale Farms
Sponsored by Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council
Madelyn Grossman, Mechanicsburg, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Jacob Haibach, Waterford, PA
Member: Country Fair
Sponsored by Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council
Cassidy Hayden, Fairless Hills, PA
Member: McCaffrey’s Markets
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Mary-Catherine Ingaldi, Erie, PA
Member: Dean Foods/Meadowbrook Dairy
Sponsored by Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council
Sophie Metz, Lewisville, NC
Member: Lowes Food, a Merchant Distributors Inc. (MDI) member
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Kiersten Millward, Douglassville, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores
Sponsored by Giant Food Stores, LLC
Ashley Morgan, Rochelle Park, NJ
Member: Wawa
Sponsored by Wawa, Inc.
Shannon O’Malley, Fairless Hills, PA
Member: Wawa
Sponsored by Wawa, Inc.
Lauren Reichart, Thornton, PA
Member: Wawa
Sponsored by Wawa, Inc.
Ignacio Ruiz, Wilmington, DE
Member: ACME Markets
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Alana Sanchez, Winter Springs, FL
Member: Wawa
Sponsored by Wawa, Inc.
Colleen Scott, Camp Hill, PA
Member: Stauffer’s of Kissel Hill
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Morgan Scott, Conneautville, PA
Member: Sheetz
Sponsored by Sheetz, Inc.
Jonathan Skee, Bethlehem, PA
Member: Weis Markets
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Vivian Smith, Nazareth, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores
Sponsored by Giant Food Stores, LLC
Emma Torija, Shippensburg, PA
Member: Weis Markets
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Marc Wagner, York, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores
Sponsored by Giant Food Stores, LLC
Kelly Weikel, Reading, PA
Member: Weis Markets
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association
Natalie Wynne, Gilbertsville, PA
Member: Giant Food Stores
Sponsored by Giant Food Stores, LLC
The Ridge Scholarship honors former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s father, who was a member of
the food industry for 25 years, and his mother Laura, who was a great advocate of education for Tom
Ridge, his brother David and sister Vikki. PFMA, the Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council and the
Pittsburgh Association of Manufacturers Representatives hosted dinners through the years to raise
money for the fund, which is now an endowment. Since 1996, 587 students have received the Ridge
Scholarships, totaling more than $1.1 million, to continue their education.
