The WSU Carson College of Business is now offering the Fire & Vine Hospitality Scholarship, which gives seven $10,000 awards to incoming or first-year students with a declared major in hospitality business management or wine and beverage business management. 

Fire & Vine Hospitality is a lodging and restaurant company known for its iconic dining locations in the greater Seattle area. Chad Mackay, Fire & Vine Hospitality CEO, said he hopes the scholarships help recipients chart a successful and rewarding career path. 

“We also want to show that [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] students are an important part of the future of the hospitality industry, and our company as well,” he said. 

Mackay said the goal of the scholarship is to bring more underrepresented students into the hospitality industry. The scholarships are aimed at helping students in the BIPOC community achieve academically and have fulfilling careers.

He said the company hopes to promote more diverse ways of thinking in the hospitality industry.

“The events of last summer and the movement it sparked, led to discussions around our dinner tables and within our teams about what we can do to make a tangible and meaningful impact,” Mackay said. 

The scholarship was created to honor Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. Mackay said the company, through its scholarship, hopes to show its support for diversity and inclusion in universities across the nation. 

Every year, the company donates 100 percent of its profits on Juneteenth to fund scholarships for BIPOC students, he said.

Tamara Nealey, Fire & Vine marketing and communications director and WSU alumna, said she could not be more proud of the company for starting the scholarship fund. 

“We understand we don’t have all of the answers,” she said. “But working with WSU and creating opportunities for new voices will help us achieve a more diverse and inclusive environment.”

Mackay said the company hopes to inspire students about the opportunity to learn more about the hospitality industry. 

The Carson College of Business offers many other scholarships for students in the college. However, according to the college’s website, this is currently one of the highest-paying scholarships available to first-year students. 

Students interested are required to have a 2.5 minimum GPA. Applications are open until 5 p.m. May 5, according to the website.