Expanding Our Community Scholarship Program

Education has always been a cornerstone of the Mammela family values. My great-great-grandfather, arriving in America with little more than ambition and determination, understood that education was the key to opportunity. Now, four generations later, we're honored to expand our commitment to education through our newly enhanced community scholarship program.

A Legacy of Learning

The Mammela Family Scholarship Fund was established in 1975 by my grandparents, who wanted to help local students access the kind of education that had been so transformative for our family. The program started modestly, offering two scholarships of $1,000 each to graduating high school seniors planning to attend college.

Over nearly five decades, we've awarded scholarships to more than 200 students. Many have gone on to remarkable careers—doctors, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Several scholarship recipients have themselves become donors to the program, creating a beautiful cycle of giving back.

The Expanded Program

This year, we're thrilled to announce a significant expansion of the scholarship program. Through a combination of family contributions and investment returns on our endowment, we're increasing both the number and value of scholarships we can offer.

Starting next academic year, we'll award ten scholarships annually, each worth $10,000 per year, renewable for up to four years for undergraduate students or two years for graduate students. This means we'll be supporting up to 40 students at any given time—a twentyfold increase from our original program.

New Focus Areas

While we'll continue to support students pursuing any field of study, we're adding special consideration for three areas that reflect our family's passions and values:

Cultural Preservation and Heritage Studies: For students dedicated to preserving history, whether through archival work, museum studies, historic preservation, or cultural anthropology. We understand from our own experience how important it is to have professionals who care deeply about maintaining connections to the past.

Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Studies: Reflecting our commitment to our land and gardens, we want to support students working toward a more sustainable future. This includes fields like environmental science, sustainable agriculture, landscape architecture, and conservation biology.

Arts and Humanities: In an age that often prioritizes STEM education, we believe it's crucial to support students pursuing the arts and humanities. Whether studying music, literature, visual arts, philosophy, or history, these students enrich our cultural landscape in irreplaceable ways.

Beyond Financial Support

Money matters, but we believe mentorship and community matter too. Every scholarship recipient will be paired with a family mentor who can provide guidance, networking opportunities, and support beyond the financial. We're creating a community of scholars, both past and present.

Scholarship recipients will also have access to our estate for study and reflection. Our library, with its 170 years of accumulated books and quiet atmosphere, is available for their use. We'll host regular gatherings where current and former recipients can connect with each other and with the family.

Additionally, we're launching a summer internship program. Each summer, up to five scholarship recipients can intern with organizations we partner with—museums, historic sites, environmental organizations, and cultural institutions. These experiences complement their academic studies with real-world application.

The Selection Process

We're committed to ensuring our selection process is both thorough and fair. Applications are reviewed by an independent committee that includes educators, community leaders, and past scholarship recipients. The committee looks beyond grades and test scores to consider each applicant's full story—their challenges, their passions, their potential.

We especially encourage applications from first-generation college students, as we remember that our own family's American story began with someone who believed in the transformative power of education.

Looking Ahead

This expansion represents more than just increased funding—it represents our vision for the future. By investing in education, we're investing in our community. By supporting students passionate about culture, sustainability, and the arts, we're helping ensure that the things we value will have champions in the next generation.

Applications for next year's scholarships will open January 15th. We're excited to meet the next cohort of Mammela Scholars and to watch their journeys unfold. If you know a student who might benefit from this program, please encourage them to apply. Information is available on our website.

Education opened doors for our family. Now it's our privilege to help open doors for others.