A grower-funded commodity group is helping recent high school graduates living in prime table grape areas continue their education.

The California Table Grape Commission has awarded $127,000 in scholarships this summer to eight students who are beginning classes at universities and community colleges within the state.

The panel gave out five scholarships to the children of field workers, including three worth $20,000 apiece for students starting at four-year universities and two $3,500 awards to help a pair of young women pay for community college.

In addition, three $20,000 scholarships were given to area graduating high school seniors who want to study and work in agriculture with an emphasis on the table grape industry, according to a commission news release.

Funding the scholarships are one way that growers “give back collectively,” commission president Kathleen Nave said earlier this year. The panel also offers teacher grants of up to $750 that this year went out to 52 schools in the prime table grape growing regions of the San Joaquin and Coachella valleys.

“As a community they do a lot of work through the commission,” Nave says.

Since 1985, more than 130 children of farmworkers have received scholarships to attend vocational schools, community colleges and California universities, the commission notes. The commission created a new scholarship program eight years ago to help students seeking careers in agriculture, and that program has helped 24 students attend four-year universities, the panel reports.

Here are the 2018 scholarship recipients, according to the commission’s release.

2-YEAR FIELD WORKER AWARDS

Yaritzi Mariscal, a graduate of Shafter High School, plans to attend Bakersfield College and pursue a nursing career. She is the first in her family to attend college and is an honor roll student and winner of the principal’s award.

Luisa Perez Rodriguez, a graduate of Robert F. Kennedy High School in Delano, will also attend Bakersfield College with plans for a career in radiological technology. She is a four-year honor roll student who played soccer all through high school and played softball for two years. She has been active in both school and church clubs.

4-YEAR FIELD WORKER AWARDS

Rosalinda Valenzuela, who earned a diploma at McFarland High School, graduated with a 4.38 weighted grade-point average thanks to enrolling in honors courses. She will attend the University of California-San Diego and pursue a career as a mechanical engineer. She was vice president of the leadership class, president of the engineering club, captain of the school golf team and also played softball.

Marisleysis Valdez, another Robert F. Kennedy High School graduate, will attend California State University-Bakersfield and major in finance. Her career goal is to become a financial manager in the table grape industry. She is a four-year honor roll student with a 4.30 weighted GPA who also tutors other students.

Aime Alarcon was class valedictorian with a 4.34 weighted GPA, was the student body president and a member of the water polo and swim teams at Harmony Magnet Academy in Strathmore. She will attend the University of Southern California with a career goal of being a school superintendent.

AGRICULTURAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Lindsey Swall was the class valedictorian at Mission Oak High School in Tulare who graduated with a 4.2 weighted GPA. She has held leadership roles in FFA and participated in competitions with the group. She will attend CSU-Fresno with a career goal of becoming a horticulturalist.

Brenden Wilson graduated from Kingsburg High School with a weighted GPA of 3.97 after having been a four-year member of FFA. He also participated in basketball and track and field. He will attend California Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo with a career goal of improving technology to reduce physical labor in the fields.

Leslie Herrera graduated from Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano with a 4.33 weighted GPA. She is a member of FFA and was senior class president, captain of the soccer team and member of the softball team. She will go to UC-Davis with a goal of becoming a human resources manager for an agricultural firm.

Established at growers’ request in 1967, the Table Grape Commission is mainly funded by grower assessments of 11.5 cents for every 19 pounds of grapes.