Ozarka Brand 100% Natural Spring Water Awards $25,000
Since 2002, more than $300,000 in scholarship funds have been distributed by Ozarka's "Every Drop Counts" Earth Science Scholarship Program
DALLAS, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, a part of the Nestlé Waters family, awarded two $10,000 scholarships and two $2,500 scholarships to four Texas students pursuing careers in environmental/earth sciences.
As part of Ozarka's commitment to Texas, the company created an annual "Every Drop Counts" Earth Science Scholarship Fund in 2002. Statewide, Ozarka awards two annual $10,000 scholarships to qualified Texas students who wish to major in hydrogeology, or any other Environmental/Earth Science that focuses on water conservation and preservation at a four-year college or university.
Allyson Holman, winner of one $10,000 award, recently completed her undergraduate studies at Stephen F. Austin University and will be pursuing a Master's Degree in Environmental Science at The University of Michigan this fall.
Through Ozarka and parent company Nestlé Waters North America's recent partnership with The Meadows Center for Water & Environment, which is connected to Texas State University in San Marcos, a second $10,000 scholarship is awarded to a Texas State University student who is pursuing an Environmental or Earth Science degree.
"I am extremely honored to be the recipient of the "Every Drop Counts" scholarship and overwhelmed by Ozarka Natural Spring Water's generosity to support my academic endeavors," said $10,000 scholarship winner Dawn Houston, a PhD student at Texas State University studying Aquatics and Conservation Biology. "As a doctoral student, this award allows me to fully focus on my studies in avian conservation, and I am committed to honor the scholarship by pursuing my degree to the best of my ability. With my research, I hope to shed light on the importance that Texas river systems have on migratory birds moving through our state. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the growing knowledge of how to best manage our lands and water for all creatures who depend on them."
The $10,000 award will be presented to Ms. Houston at an awards ceremony at The Meadows Center for Water & Environment on Wednesday, August 28, 2019.
"We are grateful for Ozarka's support of future leaders in conservation. Ozarka knows that a commitment to sustainability also includes developing the talent needed to ensure that our natural resources are available for future generations," said Robert Mace, interim executive director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Additional $2,500 scholarships are awarded to students in East Texas independent school districts where Ozarka has operations. These two $2,500 awards were given to high school seniors at Hawkins and Harmony High Schools, where Ozarka operates a bottling facility.
"Ozarka is committed to environmental leadership and innovation and we believe that environmental education is critically important for the future," said Ozarka Natural Resource Manager Trey Mixon. "This scholarship fund was created to perpetuate the goal of preserving and protecting our natural environment through the leadership and creativity of promising young students such as the ones we've selected this year. Their interests and pursuits of careers in the earth sciences matches many of our own employees, whose daily jobs are to manage and maintain the health and integrity of our water resources and the surrounding lands that support our springs. We are very pleased to help these students with their college educations."
As a natural resource company providing a healthy bottled beverage, Ozarka and its parent company, Nestlé Waters North America, are dedicated to producing high quality bottled water in a sustainable way. This includes reducing the amount of plastic in its bottles and packaging, investing in hybrid transportation technology, increasing internal recycling, regionalizing bottling facilities, constructing LEED® certified buildings, and sponsoring recycling initiatives nationally. Nationwide, the company manages 47 spring sites across the United States and protects more than 21,000 acres of land and natural habitats.
Students interested in pursuing next year's "Every Drop Counts" Scholarship awards are encouraged to contact their high school counselor or college advisor regarding scholarship rules and guidelines. Next year's winners will be selected in summer 2020.
About Nestlé Waters North America
Nestlé Waters North America offers an unrivaled portfolio of bottled water brands for healthy hydration, including Poland Spring® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water , Nestlé® Pure Life® , Perrier® and S. Pellegrino®. The company also owns and operates ReadyRefresh® by Nestlé®, a customizable water and beverage delivery service. Just Click and QuenchSM.
Based in Stamford, Connecticut with approximately 8,000 associates located in North America, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint across our operations. We manage natural resources for long-term sustainability, and we conserve nearly 21,000 acres of natural watershed area. We currently source water for our six regional spring water brands from 47 springs across the U.S. We are also committed to creating shared value and being a good neighbor in the 140 communities where we operate in the U.S. For more information, visit us at www.nestle-watersna.com/en and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @NestleWatersNA. Nestlé Waters North America is an affiliate of Nestlé Waters, the world's largest bottled water company. Nestlé Waters serves customers in 130 countries, with 52 well-known bottled water brands and is, in turn, a subsidiary of the world's largest food company, Nestlé, S.A, based in Vevey, Switzerland.
Contact: Catherine Herter
for Ozarka/Nestlé Waters North America
512-632-5470/[email protected]
SOURCE Ozarka Brand 100% Natural Spring Water
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