Contributed by: FresnoStateNews.com
December 13, 2023 – Jennifer Venegas Ramirez was doing homework in the Fresno State Library when she checked her email and got a big surprise.
“When I saw the email subject line — ‘Marinela Feed Your Dreams Grand Prize Winner’ — I gasped and said, ‘There is no way I won!’” said Ramirez, a 19-year-old pre-health major who hopes to become a nurse. “I was super happy and excited.”
On Dec. 13, Marinela USA, a manufacturer of snack cakes and cookies, presented Ramirez with an oversized check for $25,000 at the Fresno State Library. Ramirez is one of four student grand prize winners nationwide.
Kent Willis, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Fresno State, said, “We’re proud of Jennifer for taking a chance on herself by entering the competition.
I hope more students will follow Jennifer’s footsteps and take advantage of opportunities and resources that make higher education more affordable.”
The Marinela Feed Your Dreams sweepstakes was open to students 18 and older who were enrolled in college full-time. Students registered via the company’s website, or mailed in an entry.
Only one entry per person was allowed, and only four winners were selected. The sweepstakes began in September and ended in October.
“We applaud organizations that invest in future leaders by providing scholarship support because they recognize the impact of higher education as a key piece of the puzzle to build stronger communities,” Willis said.
From Fresno, Ramirez said she chose to attend Fresno State because it is close to home and her family.
Ramirez said the sweepstakes prize means a lot to her because she can worry less about how she’s going to pay for her college education, and “it gives me so much motivation to further my education.”
She hopes to become a travel nurse so she can “help cure as many people as I can, travel around the world and learn about different cultures.”