Francis Ford Coppola recently established a scholarship for their employees. They are offering full-tuition scholarships for employees that have an interest in pursuing higher education. 

Francis Ford Coppola Winery, located just 30 minutes from Rohnert Park, an award-winning winery, is well known for its superior level of quality and integrity. Coppola winery encompasses everything from cinema, wine, foods, resorts, and adventures. They make sure to embrace quality, authenticity, and pleasure to each of their vibrant business endeavors. They are founded in 2006 by director Francis Ford Coppola. He directed The Godfather series I, II, and III, followed by other big-name movies such as The Outsiders, and The Rainmaker. The Coppola Family owns four other wineries, some hotels referred to as “The Hideaways,” located in Italy, Argentina, and Guatemala, to name a few. They also own five restaurants, Rustic, Pool Cafe, Mammarella Food, Werowocomoco, and Cafe Zoetrope.

The first set of employees named the “Coppola Winery Scholars” have already started to work on their degrees at Sonoma State University. They began their road to higher education during the 2019 Fall Semester. Coppola Winery has teamed up with Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics, according to an article published by SBE. The Family Coppola CEO mentioned how they wanted to collaborate with a local university to cover its employees’ college education. Corey Beck, The Family Coppola CEO and Chief of Wine Making mentioned in an article, “Naturally we reached out to our contacts at the Wine Business Institute in the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University.” 

Sonoma State President, Judy K. Sakaki shared a few words in an article obtained from the School of Business and Economics website, “We are very excited about this new partnership with the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.” Sakaki also mentioned, “We are also pleased that employers and professionals in the region look to Sonoma State University as the destination for their education.”

Two of the Coppola Winery Scholars are expected to complete their degrees in the Spring of 2023. One employee, a pastry chef at Rustic, Catalina Gonzalez, told SBE, “The program is benefiting me so much. I don’t have to stress myself out on how I’m going to pay for school, and that gives me more time and energy to prioritize my classes. My parents and my sister are my main motivation to pursue this degree.” 

Gia Gagliardino, another Coppola Winery Scholar, had a few words to say about The Coppola Family Winery and how they recognize the importance of their employee’s growth and success to the organization. Currently a Senior in Business Administration with a focus on Wine and Marketing Studies. This new scholarship creates more opportunities for those who work at The Family Coppola Winery without having to worry about the cost of tuition.