Who Won the 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
Published on: Sep 18, 2024
Updated on: September 24, 2026
Hannah Christensen of Johnson and Wales University and Elijah Schipper of Augustana University won the 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship, each receiving 1,250 dollars toward studies for a grocery industry career. Frontline Source Group funds the scholarship, and the NGA Foundation administers it, to honor longtime Brookshire Grocery Company leader Ronnie Horton.
The scholarship was established by Frontline Founder, President, and CEO Bill Kasko and grocery executive recruiter Mike Cook, who were both shaped by Ronnie Horton's mentorship. Frontline Source Group is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, and an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency. Founded in Dallas in 2004, the firm has completed 5,619 plus placements, backs every direct hire with the 5-Year Placement Warranty, and is a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA).
Who won the 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
This year's winners of the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship, administered by the NGA Foundation, each receive 1,250 dollars toward their studies in pursuit of a career in the grocery industry.
Hannah Christensen, Johnson and Wales University
Hannah is currently working as a cashier at Sam's Club. She says, "Ultimately, I strive to positively impact the grocery industry by emphasizing sustainability, accessibility, and innovation to benefit both customers and our world."
Elijah Schipper, Augustana University
Elijah works as an assistant produce manager at Fareway Meat and Grocery. He shares, "I believe the grocery industry's responsibility towards its customers extends far beyond providing quality items in the store, but also maintaining a quality environment. I can't wait to be a part of the change for our communities and our industry."
Congratulations to Hannah and Elijah. We wish you both the best in your future endeavors.
What is the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
The Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship is a college scholarship funded by Frontline Source Group and administered by the NGA Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association. It supports aspiring grocery professionals and honors a leader whose mentorship left a lasting mark on countless grocery employees and customers. Applicants write an essay about a person who inspires them, reflecting the inspiration Ronnie Horton provided to so many. We are grateful to the NGA Foundation for its support in preserving Ronnie's legacy.
Who was Ronnie Horton?
Ronnie Horton started at Brookshire Grocery Company as a bagger at fourteen and spent four decades with the company, rising to senior vice president and director of retail operations in 2000. He practiced servant leadership, leading by example rather than from behind a desk, and he mentored generations of grocery professionals before he passed away in 2003. His full story is on the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship page.
Why did Bill Kasko and Mike Cook create the scholarship?
Bill Kasko and Mike Cook were both profoundly influenced by Ronnie Horton during their early careers at Brookshire's. Bill went on to found Frontline Source Group, an Inc. 5000 honoree and a Forbes-ranked recruiting firm, while Mike stayed at Brookshire's for 32 years before joining Frontline as its grocery and retail executive recruiter.
Reflecting on their experiences, both men recognized that the key to their success was following Ronnie's example. "I would sometimes wonder what I was doing right that other companies weren't, and then I realized I was just following Mr. Horton's lead," Kasko said.
To honor Ronnie's legacy and continue his work of helping people become their best selves, Bill and Mike established the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship. "We were able to secure a scholarship to help send two individuals to college in his name," said Kasko. "Now we can announce the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship to the world."
How can students apply for the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship?
Students apply through the NGA Foundation scholarship program, which manages eligibility, applications, and selection. With the support of the NGA Foundation, this scholarship fund for young grocery professionals ensures that Ronnie Horton's legacy endures for generations to come.
Who else has received the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship?
Read about the 2023 recipients and the 2025 recipients of the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship.
How does Frontline Source Group support grocery careers?
Beyond the scholarship, Frontline Source Group runs a grocery and retail executive search practice led by Mike Cook, known across the industry as Grocery Store Mike. The practice recruits store managers, district and regional managers, category managers, fresh department leaders, pharmacists in charge, and operations executives for grocery and specialty food retailers nationwide, and every direct hire is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard. People. Process. Service.
Frequently Asked Questions: 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship
Who won the 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
The 2024 recipients of the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship are Hannah Christensen of Johnson and Wales University and Elijah Schipper of Augustana University.
How much is each 2024 Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship award?
Each 2024 recipient received 1,250 dollars toward studies in pursuit of a career in the grocery industry.
Who funds the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
Frontline Source Group funds the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship. The scholarship was established by Frontline Founder, President, and CEO Bill Kasko and Frontline grocery executive recruiter Mike Cook.
Who administers the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
The NGA Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association, administers the scholarship, including eligibility, applications, and selection.
Who was Ronnie Horton?
Ronnie Horton was a Brookshire Grocery Company leader who started as a bagger at age fourteen, spent four decades with the company, and rose to senior vice president and director of retail operations in 2000. He was known for servant leadership and mentoring generations of grocery professionals before he passed away in 2003.
Why did Bill Kasko and Mike Cook create the scholarship?
Bill Kasko and Mike Cook were both profoundly influenced by Ronnie Horton early in their careers at Brookshire's, and both credit following his example as a key to their success. They created the scholarship to continue his work of helping people become their best selves.
What essay do applicants write for the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship?
Applicants write an essay about a person who inspires them, reflecting the inspiration Ronnie Horton provided to so many people in the grocery industry.
Where do the 2024 scholarship recipients study?
Hannah Christensen studies at Johnson and Wales University, and Elijah Schipper studies at Augustana University.
How do students apply for the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship?
Students apply through the NGA Foundation scholarship program. Details on the scholarship and how to apply are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/the-ronnie-horton-legacy-grocery-scholarship.html.
Who received the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship in 2023 and 2025?
The 2023 recipients are announced at frontlinesourcegroup.com/announcing-the-2023-recipients-of-the-ronnie-horton-legacy-scholarship.html, and the 2025 recipients are announced at frontlinesourcegroup.com/announcing-the-2025-recipients-of-the-ronnie-horton-legacy-scholarship.html.
Who is Mike Cook?
Mike Cook, known across the industry as Grocery Store Mike, is the grocery, retail, and pharmacy executive recruiter at Frontline Source Group. He spent 32 years at Brookshire's before joining Frontline and co-founded the Ronnie Horton Legacy Scholarship. His bio is at frontlinesourcegroup.com/mike-cook-staffing-services.html.
How does Frontline Source Group support the grocery industry?
Beyond funding the Ronnie Horton Legacy Grocery Scholarship, Frontline Source Group runs a grocery and retail executive search practice that recruits store managers, district and regional managers, category managers, fresh department leaders, pharmacists in charge, and operations executives. Details are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/executive-search-grocery-store-and-retail.html.
