Four children of Mt. Olive Pickle employees recently received $4,000 scholarships from the Employees Community Fund.
Honored were 2023 high school graduates Isabella F. Aguirre, from Southern Wayne High School; Christian Y. Gonzales from East Duplin High School; Ja’Kiala A. Leonard from Charles B. Aycock High School; and Emilee A. Marcin from North Duplin High School.
Aguirre, the daughter of Robin C. Aguirre and Mt. Olive employee Marcos Aguirre-Mondragon, will enter the University of North Carolina at Wilmington this fall to study marine biology.
Gonzalez is the son of Andrea Alarcon Gonzalez and Mt. Olive employee Jesus G. Gonzalez Cuatecatl. He will enter the University of Mount Olive this fall to pursue Christian studies.
Leonard is the daughter of Melinda Leonard and Mt. Olive employee Charles Leonard Jr. She enters East Carolina University this fall to major in theater arts and minor in mathematics and music.
Marcin, the daughter of Mendy Marcin and Mt. Olive employee Mike Marcin, will attend Meredith College this fall to major in biology and criminology.
The scholarships, created by the Employees Community Fund in 2006, are open to employees who are regular active employees at Mt. Olive for five or more years and members of the Employees Community Fund for the past three years. The scholarships are open to eligible employees’ children, step-children, or grandchildren who are either high school seniors or full-time college students with at least 12 hours.
Established in 1959, the Employees Community Fund is supported by Mt. Olive employees who choose donate 30 cents of every $100 of their gross wages to the fund. The company then matches employee contributions. In addition to the scholarships, the Employees Community Fund contributed $135,445 to 49 area non-profit community organizations for 2023.
In business since 1926, Mt. Olive Pickle packs and sells the best-selling brand of pickles, peppers and relishes in the U.S. The company employs over 1,200 at its facilities in Mount Olive and Goldsboro.
