Kansas Hispanic Education & Development Foundation offers more than scholarships

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Hundreds of Wichita-area students have learned the steps they need to take after high school because of the Kansas Hispanic Education & Development Foundation.

Since 2008, the foundation has been doing whatever it can to give students the best chance at being successful after they graduate from high school.

In those 18 years, it’s given out around $1 million in scholarships, but that’s not all it does. It helps throughout the college or trade school application process.

“It’s not just like they get a scholarship, and then they go their own way,” said Yezmin Thomas, a mom of two KHEDF scholars. “No, they stay involved. Graduating from high school, leaving home, moving to a different city, and then starting your college journey that way, that can be a lot for a student.”

Executive Director Pablo Cruz said like with pretty much every nonprofit, volunteers are the key to the foundation’s success.

“I really am proud and honored to work with all of our volunteers,” Cruz said. “They all have the same passion and dedication. I think we’re all in the same spirit when it comes to serving our students and preparing the workforce for Kansas.”

Those volunteers said they just want these students to know that somebody is in their corner, especially since the process could be foreign not only to the students, but to their families as well.

Some of those volunteers are also former students who were helped by KHEDF. They believe paying it forward to the next generation is how they can keep growing the overwhelming success the nonprofit has had.

“I’ve seen students get jobs and graduate and seeing them all over the place,” KHEDF alum and volunteer Zayra Camacho said. “It’s pretty cool to see them, Especially on the news or social media, and seeing how big they’re getting. And it’s mostly because they started here at KHEDF.”

While the foundation has been mainly focused in the Wichita area, it is now expanding its reach to other parts of the state. Learn about that next Monday.