Max Cares Foundation Announces 2026 Culinary Arts and Hospitality Scholarship Recipients
The Max Cares Foundation is delighted to share the thirteen recipients of the 2026 Max Cares Foundation Culinary Arts and Hospitality Scholarships. The Foundation provides financial support to college-bound or currently-enrolled students from the Greater Hartford or Greater Springfield regions who are pursuing an education in the Culinary Arts or Hospitality fields.
The total amount of scholarship funding for 2026 is $40,000, an increase over previous years. We are thrilled to continue the Foundation's commitment to the future of this industry and look forward to seeing how these future professionals proceed in their career and are happy to support their journey.
The 2026 Max Cares Foundation Scholarship recipients are:
Madison Bertrand, enrolled at Johnson & Wales University
Samuel Eaton, enrolled at Culinary Institute of America
Kayley Fox, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Jacob Hall, enrolled at Culinary Institute of America
McKenzi Hayden, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Venessa Koume, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Kimone Flowers Locario, enrolled at CT State College, Manchester, CT
Samantha Lowe, enrolled at Holyoke Community College
Brady Morrison, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Lauren Shea, enrolled at UMass - Isenberg School of Management
Eric Sirard, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Jackson Smith, enrolled at Johnson & Wales
Owen Yagid, enrolled at University of New Hampshire
Kimone Flowers - Locario
“Thank you so much for awarding me this scholarship and for believing in me. This scholarship brings me one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a chef. I am committed to working hard, striving for excellence, and making the most of this opportunity. To me, this scholarship is more than an award; it is a legacy. It is an investment in my future that will have a lasting impact. I am honored to be a recipient and deeply grateful for your kindness and support.”
Eric Sirard
“Thank you so much for choosing me for the Max cares scholarship. I am so incredibly grateful. Again, thank you so much for choosing to support me throughout my college career. I could not have done it without the folks at Max Cares.”
Lauren Shea
“Thank you so much for this wonderful news! I am honored to be selected as a recipient of the Max Cares Foundation scholarship for the upcoming school year. This support means a great deal to me as I continue my hospitality and tourism management studies.”
Owen Yagid
“Thank you so much for selecting me as a recipient of this generous scholarship. I'm very excited to start my college career and this scholarship will definitely be put to good use.”
Applications for the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Scholarships for the next school year will be announced in Spring 2027. More information can be found at MaxCaresFoundation.org.