Omaha Steaks today announced the recipients of the five culinary arts scholarships that the company sponsors through the James Beard Foundation, an organization created to continue the legacy of iconic American chef, James Beard. Throughout his life, Beard offered both help and encouragement to those pursuing culinary careers. The scholarships are awarded annually to students pursuing many areas of culinary studies including cooking, baking, writing, nutrition, food studies, wine studies, and hospitality management. Students nationwide were invited to apply for the scholarships and the following individuals were selected to receive one of the awards given for the 2012/2013 academic year:

Jarrod Lane, a student at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, is pursuing degrees in both culinary arts and business, while working as a sous-chef with Sodexo, an international food and facilities management services company.

Lynette Latchford, a student at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, is pursuing a degree in hospitality management after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in theatre arts from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Jillian Schnaebele, a student at Orange Coast Community College is Costa Mesa, California, won the American Culinary Federation Gold Medal as part of the school's competitive Hot Food Team. She eventually hopes to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in enology from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

Jessica Schultes, a student at Omaha's Metropolitan Community College, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish from the University of Iowa and is currently studying culinology, an approach to food that blends the culinary arts, food science, and food technology.

Jason Volkmer, a culinary arts and management studies major at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, was recently inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society and currently works as a kitchen supervisor for Omaha's Marriott Hotel.

"We sincerely congratulate this year's James Beard Foundation Scholarship recipients and we are honored to support their ongoing culinary education," said Omaha Steaks Senior Vice President and family owner, Todd Simon. "James Beard was a friend, advisor and creative resource to Omaha Steaks for many years. We are privileged to honor his legacy through these scholarships that enable his love of the art of cooking to live on."

About The James Beard Foundation's Scholarship Program

The James Beard Scholarship program is one of the organization's educational pillars, essential to the overall mission to celebrate, nurture, and preserve America's diverse culinary heritage and future. Since the Program's inception in 1991, the Foundation has awarded more than $3.8 million in financial aid. The scholarship program is administered with the assistance of Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Students may pursue many areas of culinary studies, including cooking, baking, writing, nutrition, food studies, wine studies, and hospitality management. For more information, visit http://sms.scholarshipamerica.org/jamesbeard/