WAEF Scholarship Applications Pt 2

From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The Washington Apple Education Foundation is currently accepting applications for 2024 college scholarships.

WAEF Executive Director, Dr. Faviola Barbosa says it’s a great program for so many first-generation college students that’s not JUST about the scholarships …

BARBOSA … “So, we check in on them, make sure that they are on their pathway, taking the correct classes for their program. We also invite them for dinners, do check-ins with them.”

And, Barbosa says they stay in close contact to try and help their students …

BARBOSA … “We always do career exploration because we want to make sure that they are building those connections in the industry. Like today, this is a perfect example. We have a student that we’ve sponsored that came to the conference with us and he’s networking, making those connections and building potential employers that he can have internships with. So, that is part of those wrap-around services.”

One example of a student who came from the industry, Barbosa says he was looking to get out …

BARBOSA … “He said that when he went off to college the last thing he wanted to do was come back to the industry because he remembers it being hard labor and so forth. But then, when he walked into his first classes, I think he wanted to be an engineer, he goes like, nope this is not for me. And his advisor talked about the ag programs that they offered at the Community College that he was at, he decided to go into that, and he loves it. He’s been in the industry now for four years and he’s like, it’s the best thing ever.”

Go to www.waef.org to learn more about the WAEF Scholarship program.