SARASOTA, Fla. – DutchCrafters, the leading retailer of American-made Amish furniture at www.dutchcrafters.com, has announced the recipients of its 2025–26 Heritage Scholarship.

Established in 2011, the Heritage Scholarship recognizes three undergraduate students who reflect on their heritage, how it will impact their future careers and how they can use it to make a positive impact in the world. This year, DutchCrafters reviewed more than 150 applications to select the winners.

The 2025–26 recipients are Amari Lopez of Myakka City, Fla., Cameron Miller of Sarasota, Fla. and Martha Armendariz of Rio Rico, Ariz. Each student will receive a $500 award, split between the Fall and Spring semesters. The application includes a formal submission, a statement of financial need, and an essay outlining how their heritage informs their goals, how they can be an asset to future employers, and how they contribute to their communities.

Lopez plans to study business economics at Columbia University with a focus on entrepreneurship and health services. His interest in healthcare is rooted in his cultural background and his experiences in underserved communities, where he has witnessed disparities in care firsthand. These experiences inspired him to pursue solutions.  “I aim to launch mobile health clinics that combine culturally competent care with technological innovation,” he says. “My goal is to merge tradition and technology, legacy and leadership, and create tools that make healthcare more engaging and accessible. I want my future employer, whether it’s a hospital, university, or a healthcare startup, to see me as someone who brings not only academic excellence but lived experience, creativity, and compassion to the table.”

Miller was raised in a household that emphasized “compassion, dedication, and hard work,” and he learned early to “give back, listen carefully to others, and make room for healing.” His involvement with groups such as Brothers Reaching Ultimate Heights and Progressive Black Men, Inc. deepened his commitment to supporting mental health in the Black community. Inspired by these experiences, he plans to become a psychologist focused on creating safe spaces for open conversations about mental health. He says, “too frequently, people in my community are deterred from getting treatment,” and hopes to be a voice that promotes recovery and resilience.

Armendariz plans to study psychology at the University of Texas at Austin to deepen her understanding and better serve her community. Her Hispanic heritage has deeply influenced her path toward a nursing career rooted in service, resilience, and compassion. As a child she watched her mother care for sick neighbors and learned that health and healing are not just clinical matters but human ones. She plans to use her background and experiences to bring creative value to healthcare teams. She has dreams of starting a community health initiative aimed at first generation immigrant families where she can offer free screenings, health education and culturally sensitive resources.

Since its inception, the Heritage Scholarship has supported many students who have gone on to make meaningful contributions in their communities and professions.

About DutchCrafters 

 DutchCrafters, owned by JMX Brands, is an omnichannel retailer, selling more than 10,000 American-made Amish furniture products on www.dutchcrafters.com and in showrooms in Sarasota, Fla. and Alpharetta, Ga. DutchCrafters was a 2016 Florida Company to Watch, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Medium Business of the Year, one of the Top Workplaces in Sarasota-Manatee from 2020 to 2024, one of the Furniture Today’s Best Places to Work from 2021 to 2024, and named to Newsweek’s prestigious Best Online Shops for 2021. The company has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and was listed seven times as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, according to Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 5,000 List.