The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) announced on Monday the creation of the Myrna B. Sherman Memorial Education Scholarship “to honor the memory and spirit of Myrna Sherman, the matriarch and ‘Mom’ of the Sherman tobacco family and devoted supporter of the industry.”

The scholarship program will award four $2,500.00 scholarships to qualified applicants and the recipients will be selected by a random draw during the 2014 NATO Annual Awards Dinner. NATO will pay each scholarship directly to the college, university, or school for tuition, on-campus room and board, or other direct education costs charged by the educational institution for the upcoming 2014-2015 academic year.

In a statement issued by NATO, Joel Sherman said “I can think of no better way to honor Myrna than by what NATO has done in naming this scholarship in her memory and honor. Our family is truly appreciative and excited to be a part of this tradition of giving back.”

NATO invites all those individuals who meet the following criteria to apply for the scholarship program:

  • Be an owner, an employee, or an immediate family member (spouse, son/daughter, stepson/stepdaughter) of an owner or employee of a current NATO retail member.
  • Be accepted for admission to, or be enrolled as, a student for the 2014-2015 academic year at: (1) an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited four-year college or university, (2) an accredited law school or accredited medical school, (2) an accredited community college, or (3) a vocational technical/trade school.
  • Complete the scholarship application form and submit the form to NATO by March 31, 2014. Incomplete applications will not be eligible for the scholarship program.

A copy of the application form can be found here.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.