By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
The USF Brewing Arts program and D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. are teaming up once again to provide scholarship opportunities that will enhance access into the growing industry of craft brewing.
They are offering two $5,000 awards. One will go to a military veteran and the other to an individual from a traditionally underrepresented population. The awards will cover the full cost of tuition for the certificate program, whose graduates have gone on to start their own breweries and work for national and international distributors.
Applications for the August 2023 session are being accepted through June 30.
“Working with Yuengling, we hope to continue to enhance the brewing industry in Tampa Bay and beyond by providing greater opportunity into this growing and exciting field,” said Jennifer Sedillo, program director of the Brewing Arts program.
For Chris Cardona, a U.S. Navy veteran who received the scholarship last year, the program provided him a chance to deepen his knowledge and passion for beer brewing while getting hands-on training in the industry.
“The scholarship gave me the opportunity to not only learn about the science of brewing, but the business side as well and what it takes to operate a brewery,” he said. “It fit exactly with what I wanted to do.”
Since completing the certificate, Cardona has been interning at Green Bench Brewing Company while still working for the Department of Homeland Security. At Green Bench, he has been involved in every aspect of the brewing process, from making beer to bottling and packaging, which he hopes one day to use when opening his own brewery.
“The program is outstanding, with professors who are actively in the industry, so you are learning from people who are doing the job and who are willing to meet you at your level,” Cardona said.
According to the Brewers Association, the number of operating craft breweries reached an all-time high of more than 9,550 in 2022. The Brewing Arts program was created to meet this growing demand.
Launched in 2015, the 23-week online program is a collaboration between USF's College of Arts and Sciences and several local and national breweries. It is designed for brewers ranging from hobbyists to enthusiasts looking to make a career in the growing industry by working in or opening a brewery one day.
“As Yuengling’s sixth generation, my sisters and I are proud to continue the family brewing tradition of America’s Oldest Brewery that began 194 years ago. We understand the importance of supporting the interests of those who want to pursue a career in the brewing industry,” said Wendy Yuengling, Chief Administrative Officer and sixth generation family member, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. “We’re raising our glasses to help support the development of the next generation of brewers.”
Since 2017, Yuengling has sponsored various scholarship opportunities for the Brewing Arts program. Learn more and apply here to the veteran scholarship or diversity in brewing scholarship.