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We’re excited to announce that two New Jersey residents are among the first class of the DaySavers Higher Potential Scholarship Award Winners, a first-of-its-kind initiative to help forge the next generation of cannabis industry leadership.
Consisting of more than 200 prizes totaling more than $25,000, the Higher Potential Scholarship provides opportunities for current and future members of the industry, all donated by 25 different brands, businesses and organizations inside the cannabis space.
Both Chiemeka Ekweghariri of East Orange and Katherine Halle of Hillsborough were named Top Award Recipients.
Ekweghariri was awarded a membership to Women Employed in Cannabis, a mentorship with Erin Kirk, Esq. from the Connecticut Office of the Cannabis Ombudsman, a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy and a 1-on-1 entrepreneurial advisement from The Mycelia Group CEO Jessica Ferranti.
Ekweghariri pivoted to cannabis from healthcare after New Jersey voters it was legalized for recreational use, working as a Budtender to deepen her connection to and learn more about the industry. She is a Minority Cannabis Academy alumnus and participated in the National Cannabis Policy Summit. She hopes to use the scholarship awards to further her career in the industry so she can make an impact.
“I aspire to higher employment opportunities in cannabis that bring together my background in tech, sales, and human-powered creativity and empathy,” she wrote in her application essay.
Halle was awarded a 1-on-1 mentorship with Dr. Miyabe Shields of the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy, tickets to IgniteIt Cannabis New Jersey and their Cannabis Capital and Policy Summit in Washington, D.C, as well as passes to the NECANN industry conferences in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Halle is pursuing a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, specializing in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation. She has worked as a budtender and currently works as a trimmer. Because cannabis has helped both her and family members deal with medical conditions, she hopes to continue to research how cannabinoids and terpenes can be used as treatment options.
“To me, cannabis is more than a plant. It is my lifeline,” she wrote. “I hope to use my background as both a patient and a researcher to push cannabis science forward, reduce stigma, and expand access for those who need it most.”
Winners come from 30 different states and were selected based on their application and personal essay detailing their background, interests, passion and journey in the cannabis space.
The Higher Potential Scholarship Initiative is part of DaySavers’ broader mission to advance cannabis education, equity and industry innovation. Founding sponsors include Custom Cones USA, the DaySavers family of brands, Ganjier, SUNY Niagara and Cannabis & Tech Today, among others.
“These awards will help provide potentially life-changing access to education about one of the fastest-growing and most exciting industries in the country, impacting both the lives of the students and the business of cannabis in general,” said James Valentine, DaySavers’ Communications & Content Marketing Manager and Scholarship Administrator. “This is an investment in people and in the future of the industry.”
Other Higher Potential Scholarship recipients received: