Throughout his four years at Selah High School, recent graduate Caleb Williams knew he was interested in exercise, nutrition and how they can help athletes — himself included — perform in sports.

An injury his senior year, and the treatment a trainer gave him for it, reinforced to Williams that it was a good career choice.

Williams strained his hamstring during track practice, and was helped by Ken Kladnik, a trainer from Central Washington University.

“I was going over a hurdle when I tweaked it,” Williams said. “We just did some different exercises — I would just come in after school and do that and it really worked for me.”

Something else that will work for Williams: a two-year Washington Award for Vocational Excellence scholarship, which will help pay for his education at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Williams is one of six Yakima Valley region students and among 145 high school seniors and community and technical college students statewide who will receive a 2025 WAVE scholarship.

This scholarship, managed by the Washington Workforce Board, honors Washington’s top career and technical education students, said Andrew Lenderman, communications manager for the board. The award helps students afford their next education and training goals at Washington schools, colleges and universities.

Volunteers from the business, labor and education communities selected winners through a highly competitive process, Lenderman said. This year’s award pays up to $3,900 per year for two years, or up to $7,800. Awards vary depending on tuition at the college attended by scholarship recipients, and other factors.

Many awardees are focused on careers that face ongoing labor shortages, including nursing, skilled trades, information technology and more, Workforce Board Executive Director Eleni Papadakis said in a news release.

This year’s awardees represent all 49 state legislative districts. A record 560 students applied for the scholarship this year, which is a 68% increase from 2024.

The Yakima Herald-Republic recently spoke with Williams about the WAVE scholarship and his college and career plans.

How did you find out about the WAVE scholarship?

I think I first heard about it through my sister, Chaeli, when she applied for it. She was able to get it in 2023, one year after she graduated from Selah. She attends Eastern Washington University.

I thought it would be a good one to apply for as I was applying for a bunch of different scholarships. Thankfully I got it — I was kind of surprised, but it was really nice.

Your college plans are to study health sciences?

I’ve always been interested in sports, exercise, that kind of world. I wanted to stay in it even though I’m not continuing to play sports in college.

Going into exercise science can lead to athletic training or physical therapy, and I want to do physical therapy. I plan to get a bachelor’s degree and then apply to physical therapy school afterward.

Post graduate work? Yeah, I think it’s two more years at least, and then you get your doctorate in physical therapy. At the end of it you take a (state) certification test.

Did you have to do some rehab or physical therapy yourself when you played sports?

I didn’t have to do much. I think what started my interest was, probably during COVID, I learned how to take care of myself better, whether it was just eating better or exercising more regularly. That definitely helped me in life as well as in athletics.

Then I did have a little bit of an injury this last track season and I was able to work with … our athletic trainer, Ken Kladnik, he was like a fill-in. He works at Central (Washington University), and he came down to Selah to fill in for our athletic trainer, who had just had a baby. He was able to give me some exercises to do, and within a couple days I was feeling super good.

So that was a really good experience. It made me realize that it was something that I really wanted to do.

Where do you plan to go to school this fall?

Eastern Washington University. I’m really looking forward to it. I was able to go around campus during orientation. Some of my family has already gone there, so I knew a good amount about it. I think it will be a really nice fit for me this next year.

What things do you like to do in your free time?

Outside of work (at Barrett Orchards in Yakima), I like going to the gym, working out. Making good food, playing games with my brother especially, and hanging out with my girlfriend.