AN ANNOUNCEMENT over EIGHT POSTS The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling is pleased to announce its third cohort of scholarship awardees! The MJF is here to help by providing scholarships for technical education in brewing and distilling for BIPOC in our industries. Over eight posts (in alphabetical order) please meet the third wave of recipients of the MJF’s Sir Geoff Palmer Scholarship Award for Brewing and the Nearest Green Scholarship Award for Distilling. Special thanks this year to @probrewerpage, to anchor sponsor @athleticbrewing and to our endowment funder @brooklynbrewery, and many thanks to our 600+ donors! www.themjf.org ALL RISE. First up, please meet Rafael D’Armas (@dc.iphoto), The MJF Sir Geoff Palmer Award for Brewing: “I’m originally from Venezuela and grew up between the Andes and the Caribbean Coast. In 2015, I started homebrewing by chance and was hooked immediately. At first I really didn’t consider a career in beer, the more I learned about beer, the more I realized how crucial it has been to history, politics, culture and identity and how my background in Political Science and International Relations fits within the beer industry. In 2021, I applied for the @BeerKulture and @BronxBrewery internship program for BIPOC and was selected for a paid production internship at the Bronx Brewery. After the internship, I started working at the Bronx Brewery as a packaging operator and recently started working as a brewer at Montclair Brewery in New Jersey. I love the fact that when it comes to beer, you can go as deep as you want on the scientific and technical issues, while keeping a creative approach to the brewing process. The beer industry is undergoing a significant transformation and I am honored to have been selected to join this effort. I will use the MJF Sir Geoff Palmer Scholarship for Brewing to expand my knowledge of brewing and brewing processes and gain the skills needed to help diversify the industry and incorporate a broader palate of flavors and experiences for beer lovers everywhere.” Rafael will attend the @siebelinstitute. Next up: Zack Day