LOS ANGELES, Calif. — At least one student from the Coachella Valley will find affording a higher education degree much easier next year, thanks to generous support from a Rancho Mirage couple. Retired judge Larry Fry and his husband, retired real estate professional Jeff Garatea have joined with Point Foundation (Point) to create the Fry-Garatea Family Trust Point Scholarship.
Point is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students of merit. Along with financial assistance, Point Scholars receive leadership development and community service training and are paired with a mentor. Students from the Coachella Valley will be considered for the Fry-Garatea Family Trust Point Scholarship during the upcoming application for all Point Scholarships, November 1, 2017 – January 2018. More information is at: www.pointfoundation.org/apply
“We are very fortunate and have everything we need, so it’s a good time for us to give back and empower others through education,” said Larry Fry, who has lived in the Coachella Valley for 41 years and received the 2016 Outstanding Jurist Award from the Desert Bar Association and the Warren Slaughter Inns of Court. Garatea has resided in the area for almost as long. Both men say the Coachella Valley has been very good to them, motivating their interest in creating new opportunities for local students.
“Part of the great value of going to college is getting exposure to as many things as possible,” said Garatea, who received a degree in music from the University of Idaho before going on to complete a business administration degree from Baylor University. “College should be a wonderful experience where students feel nothing is out of their reach. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. So we are joining with Point Foundation to encourage and help LGBTQ students.”
“It means so much to LGBTQ students to know that there are people in their community – in their very town or close-by – who want to see them succeed,” said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. “Larry and Jeff, in establishing the Fry-Garatea Family Trust Point Scholarship, are not just demonstrating their great generosity, but also showing how communities are strengthened through intergenerational empathy and collaboration.”
