I am writing to thank you for your generous $1200.00 CPS Orange County Wine Society scholarship. I was overwhelmed with joy and extremely appreciative to learn that I was selected as the recipient of your scholarship. Receiving this scholarship was particularly special to me because of the nine years I spent working and living in Orange County, which is one of my favorite places in the world. I decided to go to college at age 29 after falling in love with wine during my career in the restaurant industry in the OC.
I am a Wine and Viticulture major with an emphasis in enology. I plan to pursue a career in the wine industry upon graduating from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. I am currently a senior working on my last quarter, and plan to graduate in the fall of 2017. After graduation, I will be looking to travel to the Southern Hemisphere to work harvest and then be moving to Sonoma County to find employment in the wine industry. Thanks to you, I am one step closer to that goal.
By awarding me the CPS Orange County Wine Society scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus more on my studies. Over the last four years I have been in school full time, while working in restaurants part-time to pay for school and all other regular expenses. Your generosity will help me as I work towards my goal of graduating this fall Summa Cum Laude. It has also inspired me to help others and give back to the community, because without the help of generous people and organizations, like the Orange County Wine Society, I would not have been able to achieve my goals. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Huff