2026 Union Plus Scholarship Winners
The Union Plus Scholarship Program has provided over 30 years of higher education support for working families.
The Union Plus Scholarship program is an example of the U.S. labor movement's commitment to higher education.
Since 1991, Union Privilege, through the Union Plus Scholarship program, has helped fulfill the educational dreams of students representing more than 13 million working families across the nation.
The Union Plus Scholarship awards are presented annually to union members or members of their families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education.
In 2026, 181 union members and union family members have been awarded $300,000 in scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.
2026 Scholarship Winners
$4,000 Winners
- Gracie J. Abbe, IUOE
- Kayla Amati, OPEIU
- Lucy A. Amponsah, UFCW
- Halie M. Biever, IBB
- Eriana A. Carbajal, AFT
- Lauren M. Chaney-King, AFGE
- Joseph Y. Fischer, AFSCME
- Sadie E. Graber, NATCA
- Nia Jackson, AFT
- Nicholas Kent, AFT
- Catalina Khalaj, SEIU
- Nasira Seals, AFSCME
- Matilda Trudell, IATSE
- Andy Zhang, AFSCME
$3,500 Winners
- Janeasa Lester, AFSCME
$3,000 Winners
- Rylee M. Colleary, IRONWORKER
- Amanda Mavricos, AFSCME
- Bertha Velazquez, CSEA
- Selina Ybanez-Brown, SEIU / IUOE
$2,500 Winners
- Janet Barnardi, AFSCME (Isaiah’s Award)
- Zeinabou Abdou Bachir Boubacar, SEIU
- Jolie I. Derks, IUEC / AFT
- Aubri D. Kizzia, USW
- Jack H. Landman, AFSCME
- Victoria R. Lopez, TCU-IAM
- Raven P. Melvin, AFGE
- Julia Milos, SEIU
- Hadley O. Mongan, UFCW
- Marisol O. Nita, CSEA / IBT
- Ainsley E. Orr, BMWED
- Jessica M. Sosnowski, AFSCME
- Ruby B. Stokes, IAFF
$2,000 Winners
- Lina Amara, UFCW
- Colleen Arundel, IUOE
- Lily G. Brady, AFT
- Sabrina C. Bree, ALPA
- Ashlee M. Brown, USW
- Alyssa M. Browne, CWA
- Hailey E. Browne, CWA
- Molly A. Buesing, AFSCME
- Kaydence M. Burclaw, BMWED
- Thomas Carlton, IUOE
- Allison Chapman, AFT
- Ena C. Ferdinand, AFSCME
- Caricia D. Hernandez, CSEA
- Christian T. Johnson, IUOE
- Kai Hua Liu, UNITE HERE
- Alex M. Medina, CSEA
- Edna Molinar Rodgers, IBT
- Keith T. Morehead, AFSCME
- Angela Rockefeller, AFSCME
- David Ruffin, IAFF
- Katlyn Schraeder, LIUNA
- Bianca N. Sizemore, NATCA
- Cynthia C. Sledge, AFT
- Raphael Stark, AFM / SAG-AFTR
- Alyson Eeshan Tan, CSEA
- Sean L. Taylor, IBT
- Minh-Thu H. Vo, IBEW
- Dystiny T. Vong, IUE-CWA
$1,500 Winners
- Karyn Alston, SEIU / AFSCME
- Chloe Andrus, USW
- Tayler M. Ashlock, BMWED
- Claudia Avendano-Ibarra, AFT
- Benjamin Bekkerman, CSEA
- Gabrielle Benner, UFCW
- Tiffany Blanchette, AFT
- Katarina Both, AFT
- Adora Bricher, SAG-AFTRA
- Ciarra M. Brock, AFGE
- Brooke L.F. Chin, CSEA
- Corey Collier, Jr., UAW
- Heily E. Concepcion, IBEW
- Cadyn E. Conrad, SMART / UAW
- Katherine Crovo, IAFF / AFT
- Grace M. Dennison, AFSCME
- Alyssa Eginoire, IAFF
- Jahnel R. Forte, UA
- Leonardo Garcia, AFSA
- Delina E. Gebremichael, AFSCME
- Ne’Vaeh R.D. Gibson, NPMHU
- Maddison F. Hampton, AFGE
- Steven A. Johnson, IUPA
- Kayla MacDermott, AFSCME
- Andrea Maltoni, AFA-CWA
- Nikki Mazlomi, CSEA / AFSCME
- Jacob Mohring, AFSCME
- Addisyn M. Moore, AFGE / AFSCME
- Danielle Murray, IUOE
- Marcos R. Navarro, CSEA
- Ava R. Offermann, IBEW
- Khushi D. Patel, CWA
- Devin Polidore, IBEW
- Cody M. Rodgers, BLET
- Sonia Rodriguez, AFSCME
- Lucas Sansone, AFT
- Zarek D. Sierazy, IAFF
- Sulana C. Spencer, CSEA
- Scott Wang, AFGE
$1,000 Winners
- Ceazar Agront, CSEA
- Nathaniel C. Aguilar, SMART
- Deja Alford, UAW
- Angelina L. Amaral, CSEA
- Leticia I. Assuncao, AFSCME
- Jonathon P. Barnby, AFGE
- Olivia M. Bate, AFSCME
- Emma L. Bergbigler, AFT
- Cade M. Blackshire, IUOE / AFT
- Madyson Blanton, SMART
- Nia R. Bonaparte, SEIU
- Brianna Bonfiglio, AFT
- Sebastian Bonilla, UA
- Laura M. Brannon, AFGE
- Jocelyn Castellanos, BAC
- Riley E. Crysell, TCU-IAM
- Braydon Dahlke, BMWED
- Valerie Davila, IBEW
- Isabella DeFusco, AFT
- Grace C. DeMatteis, IBEW / UNITE HERE
- Tristan Denney, NPMHU
- Cassandra Dobro, NPMHU
- Brenna J. Ducatte, AFT
- Maris E. Endsley, AFT
- Celeste M. Florenciani, UA
- Emma J. Fontenot, IUPA
- Kingston Gaither, UFCW
- Felicia J. Garramone, AFSCME
- Sonal G. Gill, CSEA
- Gianna S. Gomez, CSEA
- Jorge A. Gonzalez, ATU
- Aydah Grabowski, IBEW
- Makinzie A. Guzman, CSEA
- Atticus Hammill, AFGE
- Demetrius D. Hardy, NPMHU
- Lauren A. Harris, CWA
- Henry T. Herbst, SAG-AFTRA
- Peyton T. Hernandez, IBEW
- Christian B. Hill, SMART
- Nathan T. Jegierski, IBT
- Musa G. Kamara, SEIU
- Cole C. Kelley, UA
- Laken Knipp, IBB / SEIU
- Lena Knowles, AFT
- Madilyn E. Kolodzie, AFGE
- Cadence Krause, IUPAT
- Alayna G. Lewis, BMWED
- Ashlyn Luedeman, IAFF
- Isabel R. Maldonado, UWUA
- Allison Marszalek, AFT
- Madyson C. Martinelli, APWU
- Joaquin E. Martinez, BMWED
- Chloe J. McNeill, AGMA
- Nina McQueeney, AFSCME
- Jazz Millan, IUOE
- Solea Muller, CSEA
- Morgan Nabus, IAFF
- Katrina M. Olichwier, BMWED
- Briona Parkinson, AFSCME
- Wondwosen Paulos, AFSCME
- Alyson S. Pavlica, CWA
- Luis Perez, CSEA
- Israel M. Popo, AFT
- Abigail M. Ray, MEBA
- Keatin H. Roach, UAW
- Magdalena Rozycka-Siatka, IBEW
- Gabriella Rupert, AFSCME
- Grace P. Schmitt, IBEW
- Jeremy Shawley, IAFF
- Jack Simpson, ALPA
- Bailey J. Smith, UMWA / USW
- Kelton Stout, IAFF / AFT
- Lixin Su, UNITE HERE
- Derly Swanson, USW
- Abigail Thomas, TCU-IAM
- Alona Thompson, AFGE
- Anna E. Tryon, SMART
- Kaelyn R. Viernum, IBEW
- Erin Walling, CWA
- Elena Walsh, IUOE
- Jonathan M. Wilson, IBEW
- Jackson Wynn, UFCW
- Lourdes J. Zavala, CSEA
A diverse group of hardworking students
The students selected for awards represent a wide sampling of demographics, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. Representatives from the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the United Negro College Fund judged the applications.
According to the judges, the caliber of students this year made the selection process very challenging. The students are from diverse backgrounds, and as a whole, they received top test scores, were well-rounded in their studies and extracurricular activities, and they understood the value of working families and union membership.
How the Scholarship Program works
In addition to demonstrated academic ability, applicants submitted essays describing their career goals, detailing their relationship with the labor movement, and explaining why they are deserving of a union scholarship.
The program is open to union members, their spouses and dependent children of unions that are participating in any Union Plus program. Individuals must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Members do not have to purchase any Union Plus program product or participate in any Union Plus program to apply.
The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation.
Applications
Each year, the application deadline is January 31 and the chosen scholarship award recipients are notified by mail on May 31. All applicants are notified when the award winner list is posted in early June.
Each year the new application is available at the end of June.