This year, the Washington Apple Education Foundation gave a record $1.3 million in scholarships to 320 students whose parents work in the tree fruit industry. 

The organization held its annual celebration luncheons for scholarship winners and their families, recent graduates and supporters in Wenatchee on July 16 and in Yakima on July 23.

Things haven’t been easy for the tree fruit industry in the past few years, said WAEF chairman Tyler Price during the Yakima event, but that hasn’t stopped the industry from continuing to invest in students who are the next generation of leaders for Central Washington. 

“It’s about believing in people before they know what’s possible themselves,” he said. 

This year, 85 WAEF-supported students graduated with bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and technical school certifications, said Jennifer Witherbee, the foundation’s executive director.

Dalay Ledezma, a student from Toppenish who graduated from Washington State University this year, shared her story with attendees. As the youngest of seven children, and the first to go to college, she sometimes had doubts about pursuing her education. WAEF provided more than a financial support system, she said. 

“One of the most valuable things WAEF gave me was a sense of belonging,” she said. It connected her with a community of other first-generation college students and a community of support from WAEF staff and volunteers. “All the little things, like care packages, make a difference.”

Retired grower Rick Derrey also shared his decision to create a scholarship specifically to support students pursuing trade school educations, in honor of his late son, Alec. •